The U.S. Secret Service has placed a white agent on leave after an African American employee reported finding a noose hanging at the service’s main training facility outside the nation’s capital.
The service has acknowledged “an allegation of misconduct” at its J.J. Rowley Training Center in Beltsville, Md., and that an employee last week was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation. The employee is a veteran agent with the service, according to fellow agents.
The noose was found by an African American officer in the uniform division of the service during the week of April 14, according to those familiar with the alleged incident. That division protects the White House and surrounding grounds. He reported the incident to his supervisor and it was sent up the chain of command. He declined to comment for this story.
After learning about the alleged incident, Cox Newspapers asked the Secret Service whether a noose had been discovered at the training center.
“In response to your question, there has been an allegation of misconduct at our training center,” said Edwin M. Donovan, assistant special agent in charge of government and public affairs.
“The employee involved has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by our Office of Professional Responsibility, which serves as the agency’s internal affairs office,” Donovan wrote in an e-mail response. “At the conclusion of the investigation, additional information may be available.”
The alleged incident happened as U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson is expected to decide next month whether to sanction the service for failing to turn over evidence in a long-running lawsuit alleging that the service created a racially hostile atmosphere that tolerated discrimination.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Atlanta native Reginald G. Moore, alleges that the Secret Service routinely discriminates against black agents seeking promotion in favor of white agents who scored lower on promotional exams.
Nearly 60 black agents have submitted sworn statements to the court in support of the lawsuit’s allegations.
Robinson has already sanctioned the service three times since the discovery process of the lawsuit began 3 1/2 years ago.
The service denies the allegations and is now appealing all of the sanctions.
The Office of Professional Responsibility, previously called the inspection division, figured prominently during the discovery process of the lawsuit.
Carrie Hunnicutt, an inspector in charge of searching for documents sought in the lawsuit, testified in February that she destroyed original evidence sought by the plaintiffs by placing documents in a “burn bag” just two days before she was scheduled to testify in the case.
Justice Department lawyers defending the service have said that the destroyed documents should not be considered lost evidence because Hunnicutt transferred information from the documents to a computer database.
But lawyers at Hogan & Hartson and Relman & Dane, two Washington law firms representing the plaintiffs for free, contested that assertion, arguing that no one will ever know if the database is complete because the original evidence was destroyed by Hunnicutt.
The allegation that a noose was discovered supports the essence of the discrimination alleged in the lawsuit, said Jennifer Klar, a lawyer at Relman & Dane.
“We are appalled but unfortunately not surprised that a noose was prominently displayed recently in a secret service training center,” Klar said in an interview.
“This incident of racial hatred is troubling in an agency that has the important duty of protecting world leaders of all races, including our own leaders such as (presidential candidate) Barack Obama and (Secretary of State) Condoleezza Rice,” Klar said.
“This racist incident is a reminder that long time discrimination in the secret service has created an atmosphere where such hateful acts occur all too regularly,” Klar said.
“It is time for the Secret Service to put a stop to acts of racism by addressing and healing the racially charged environment that has been created over the years,” Klar said.
The Secret Service has fought the lawsuit each step since it was filed eight years ago.
“The Secret Service is extremely proud of the accomplishments of our diverse work force and our record on diversity,” said Eric Zahren, a spokesman for the service in an e-mail document defending the service from the accusations in the lawsuit.
“The Secret Service has not and will not tolerate discrimination of any kind,” Zahern said. “We are extremely proud of the contributions of our diverse work force and we will continue to promote the most qualified people.”
Moore, the lead plaintiff in the case who grew up in civil rights movement in Atlanta, was promoted after filing his lawsuit in 2000.
Moore is now in the service’s senior executive service. He has said that he will keep fighting until the service’s promotional system is permanently changed so that all agents of all colors have an equal chance at promotion.
“This incident of racial hatred is troubling in an agency that has the important duty of protecting world leaders of all races, including our own leaders such as (presidential candidate) Barack Obama and (Secretary of State) Condoleezza Rice,” Klar said.
I'd say so.
Manic Progressive: A liberal who violently swings from anger at politicos to despondency over them.
Out Of Context theatre: Ron Paul has repeatedly said he's not a racist. - Destructinator XIII on why Ron Paul isn't racist.
