Activists delivered a letter to Governor Dannel Malloy's security staff on March 21, 2014. Also included with the letter were graphs and charts with statistical data supporting allegations of racism / bias.
Governor Dannel P. Malloy
State Capitol
210 Capital Avenue
Hartford, Connecticut 06106
Dear Sir,
I am sending you this letter on behalf of a group of oppressed employees in the State of Connecticut. For several years we have tried to bring attention to the plight of work place bullying being used as a cudgel to discipline employees of color. Several state agencies e.g. The Department of Children and Families, Connecticut Valley Hospital, and Connecticut Juvenile Training School targeted employees of color [ black & Latino men in particular ] for harsher disciplinary measures. Data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act highlights that sixty six percent of DCF terminations are aimed at black males, while the same is true for CVH seventy percent. Bullying is defined as: “a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people.” This definition surely describes what is going on as it pertains to employees of color and state run agencies. We must state for the record that many of those people dispensing the discipline are not of color and this causes speculation that these actions might be racially motivated.
Time, and time again, the behaviors of those in our society; our neighbors, colleagues, etc. continues to be of dire concern and there is a need for change.
We respectfully request the office of Governor Dannel P. Malloy have a conversation with the victims being affected by the horrors of people using work place bullying, to possibly implement racial practices of discrimination, bias and intimidation.
I include a few examples from Connecticut Valley Hospital and Connecticut Juvenile Training School.
Special Report: Racism & Homophobia at Connecticut Valley Hospital
October 6, 2012 at 12:11pm
This column appears in the October 11 - 18, 2012 edition of the Hartford News... Last week the Community Party spoke with Connecticut Valley Hospital employees Rosa Badillo and Carlos Vargas, who are currently serving 10-day unpaid suspensions. Rosa and Carlos told us about racism and bigotry that they have experienced while working at CVH. Because of legal reasons we cannot yet discuss the complete details regarding their suspensions, but we can share their stories of discrimination. Rosa has worked for the State of Connecticut for 7 years, the last two at CVH. She had a clean disciplinary record prior to her suspension. Rosa was one of five CVH employees who recently were suspended by the facility; she informed us that while all five employees were charged with the same offense, her and Carlos and another employee were initially hit with 20-day unpaid suspensions with an option of a 5-day paid suspension or a 5-day "working" suspension, while their two other co-workers received 5-day unpaid suspensions with the option of a one-day paid or a one-day "working" suspension.
https://www.facebook.com/notes/david-samuels/special-report-racism-homophobia-at-connecticut-valley-hospital/10151418650215432
https://www.facebook.com/notes/david-samuels/workplace-bullying-report-a-survivors-story/10151447046360432
At Connecticut Juvenile Training School two events:
In 2009 African American male employee Kevin Strachan and a white co-worker switched assignments [at the white employee’s request ]. Kevin went to the visiting area for his co-worker. One week later Kevin was written up by CJTS management, but the white worker did not receive the same reprimand.
In 2009 a white male employee James Weatherby slapped an incarcerated youth in the face at Connecticut Juvenile Training School [ the youth won a chess game ]. Weatherby received several days off as a suspension for this incident; agency policy states this type of incident results in termination. African American employees are often terminated for lesser infractions.
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