Goodwin Weber PLLC, on Behalf of DOJ Employees, Announces Intent Today To File Class Action Suit Against Secretary of Labor Nominee Thomas Perez

WASHINGTON, July 15, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- According to a number of Department of Justice (DOJ) employees, the Civil Rights Division, at the direction of Thomas Perez and his senior staff, began a widespread campaign of disparate and discriminatory treatment earlier this year against Civil Rights Division employees who struggled with mobility, hearing, vision, emotional, physical or mental challenges and disabilities, as well as those under protected status based on race, gender, age, and/or parental status.

"Upon opposing this widespread and unlawful discrimination, DOJ employees have been subjected to an exceptionally hostile work environment and unlawful retaliation," said the DOJ employees' attorney, David P. Weber of Goodwin Weber PLLC. "We call on Congress to investigate these serious allegations, hold Mr. Perez's nomination pending investigation, and demand that the Attorney General take immediate steps to curtail the discrimination and retaliation." 

"Thomas Perez has been nominated to be the protector of the American workforce," Weber added, "yet my clients have reported to Congress that under his direction, the Civil Rights Division rampantly discriminated against its own workforce, and retaliated against those brave enough to raise their hand and speak out."

According to more than 15 DOJ employees, the Perez actions are directed at preserving the positions of political appointees who have "burrowed" into the Civil Rights Division through Perez's patronage, said Weber. "Now that they're under fiscal constraints," added Weber, "Perez has directed senior DOJ staff to constructively terminate career staff in order to protect the political appointees from a Reduction in Force." 

Six of the DOJ employees have filed EEO complaints or alleged mistreatment, including physical assault. The DOJ employees include two senior trial attorneys, one African American female, one Hispanic male, a white disabled female sign language interpreter, a disabled former Voting Rights Section analyst, a disabled former paralegal specialist, and the DOJ's only disabled African American architect.  Each of these employees is over age 40 and thus protected under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. The Hispanic trial attorney is a founder of the national Hispanic Bar Association and a founder of the local District of Columbia Hispanic Bar Association.

In addition, according to the DOJ employees, shortly after arriving at the DOJ, Perez began apparent attempts at suppressing documentation of EEO violations within the Civil Rights Division. "What first appeared to be numerous individual cases of discrimination have now aggregated over time to reveal a systemic practice of intentional noncompliance with federal sector EEO policies applicable to all federal agencies," said Weber. "In this manner, DOJ deflected and minimized the nature and severity of employee requests for EEOC compliance, creating a false and misleading appearance of model-agency compliance within the Civil Rights Division." 

Added Weber, "The compromised integrity of DOJ civil rights and EEOC compliance results not only in past and current harm to my clients who have received retaliation for coming forward, but deceived Congress and the American public by presenting under-reported, inaccurate information to Congress."

About Goodwin Weber PLLC
Goodwin Weber PLLC is a boutique law firm with offices in Montgomery County, Maryland, New York City, and the District of Columbia.  Mr. Weber is the principal attorney and a certified fraud examiner in Goodwin Weber, PLLC's Washington, D.C. Office.  He is licensed to practice law in New York, Maryland and the District of Columbia, as well as before the United States Supreme Court.  Mr. Weber is the former Assistant Inspector General for Investigations at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and himself a prominent whistleblower.  Mr. Weber additionally teaches fraud, forensic investigation and accounting at the University of Maryland University College.  You can read more about Mr. Weber's practice at www.goodwinweberlaw.com. 

Contacts:
Jenny Storer
Verasolve LLC
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 503-915-4179    

Nikki Poe
Verasolve LLC
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 317-519-0050

SOURCE Goodwin Weber PLLC