A group of Youth Service Officers at Connecticut Juvenile Training School recently sent grievances about unfair management practices to state officials. Their letter described how low morale is at CJTS due to workplace bullying of employees. It is admirable how YSOs finally came together to voice discontent plus advocate for systemic changes at the CJTS plantation. Department of Children & Families Commissioner Joette Katz is scheduled to meet YSOs soon for dialogue about how the situation might be corrected.
The euphoria among YSOs cannot be underestimated nor the treacherous efforts of management to quell this employee unrest. What might escape the notice of people is how current employee issues are built on activism of a group dubbed the DCF Plantation 5. In 2010 two women and three men [ of color ] employed by DCF filed a lawsuit alleging bias, racism and workplace bullying against CJTS. Their efforts caused consciousness raising among fearful employees plus made management rein in abusive tactics toward employees. For several years after the lawsuit was filed the DCF Plantation 5 were targeted for reprisals by vengeful management. During the time period of being targeted, these activists called DCF Plantation 5 carried the burden of having their character maligned: called racist by management and shunned as lepers by their peers it was indeed lonely for DCF plantation 5. History has a way of forgetting about people who pioneered social change; it is popular to believe revisionist tales of change magically popping up due to contemporary tactics. When a perusal of social activism is completed by serious scholars it is noted other people paved the way, blazed trails and endured abuse in many forms.
Let us not forget those efforts of the DCF Plantation 5 who endured investigations, terminations and character assassination by management hell bent on not letting any hope be instilled in oppressed CJTS workers.
Let us salute former employee Cornell Lewis, current employees Veronica Rogers, retired Scott Beck, Kevin Strachan, and Linette Gaunichaux for advocating justice when others cowered in the tall grass.
“ The heroes, the saints, and sages- they are those who face the world alone.”
--Norman Douglas
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