Alicia Dabney
Update: 8/24/2012
Randy Moore Regional Forester, Pacific Southwest Region, U.S. Forest Service" Letter.
"Editor,
The recent article on a pending litigation case of workplace harassment within the Forest Service by the Porterville Recorder failed to accurately depict the agency’s position on the issue.
Although I cannot comment on specifics of the referenced personnel case which is in litigation, I can emphatically state that harassment and discrimination in any form are not tolerated by our agency.
The Forest Service is strongly committed to providing a workplace where all employees are valued, safe, and respected. In fact, we have established methods to ensure that this takes place and employees can strive to reach their fullest potential.
We investigate all allegations of misconduct in a formal process that protects victims and affords the due process the law requires for the accused, including those mentioned in your article.
For example, in recent years the agency took action to propose the removal of individuals in several incidents.
While there have been no findings of employee discrimination against the Forest Service for this past year, we remain vigilant on a zero-tolerance policy for such behavior.
The agency has an aggressive training regimen focused on equal opportunity issues. In California, we provide mandatory training classes for all supervisors regarding employee conflict resolution, managing performance and overall employee relations.
Nearly 1,000 managers will participate in these sessions. In addition, every employee is provided training on the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace.
I can assure you that the safety and well-being of all Forest Service employees is a fundamental concern. I am strongly committed to maintaining a harassment-free and respectful workplace.
Randy Moore Regional Forester, Pacific Southwest Region, U.S. Forest Service"
Update: 8/5/2012
Lawrence -
Alicia Dabney was terminated from the Forest Service today.
The charges are ridiculous and it is clearly reprisal for protected activity.
Last week Alicia participated in the 6th, (yes number 6) conduct investigation based on her allegations of physical assault, sexual assault, and other complaints of harassment.
This investigation is being conducted by OIG and is about the attempted rape incident on the fire (that we reported a year ago) and the incident at the March 2011 Apprentice Academy when the guys surrounded her and one pulled her down on his lap.
They still haven't investigated the sexual phone calls or Danny trying to break into her hotel room, so we told it again to these investigators.
Alicia is also starting her 5th EEO investigation this week. That makes 11 investigations the Agency has put her through since May 2011, and no one has been fired for these incidents EXCEPT ALICIA.
(No Mr. Secretary, Tyler Castle was not fired for his assault upon Alicia - look it up.)
The men who attempted to rape her, break into her room, publicly called her a whore, made her urinate in front of the other men, made her tell them when her period started, etc. etc. etc. are all working - but ALICIA HAS BEEN TERMINATED even though she was at the top of her class at the Academy, always had successful performance evaluations, and never had a misconduct issue.
Numerous male employees cannot claim that (Ron Booker for example) and they are still working. Enough said.
8/5/2012
Women Whistleblowers
7/12/2012
This is a very disturbing taped telephone calls to Alicia Dabney, a Native American firefighter. Ms. Dabney works for the USDA Forest Service in California. After receiving this telephone call from her supervisor she filed a complaint of discrimination. Within weeks, she was placed on administrative leave and later fired.
Alicia's letter to the Secretary of USDA
I, Alicia Dabney, am a female Native American employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture; U.S. Forest Service, Sequoia National Forest located in Porterville, CA. My duty station is the Springville Work Center in Springville, CA. My job is a GS-462-4 Forestry Technician (Firefighter) from February 2010 to present. My telephone number during working hours is: xxx-xxx-xxxx.
I am writing you today to request a meeting with you again to resolve the massive violations of employee civil rights, put down this War On Women, and meet with us.
We need your help.
My managers and supervisor have retaliated against me for reporting sexual harassment, sexual assault, discrimination against women and minorities. I will take the time to personally tell you what has happened to me and my family. So if you haven't been informed, you are now!!! I was denied any type of training for two years--my supervisor letting me know that I didn't deserve the training. I was told by my supervisor everyday,"don't talk to me because it's not 8:00 yet" and that he gets paid to put up with me. When I requested new fire pants I was told I was too fat and needed to lose weight if my pants didn't fit. I was forced to monthly report when I was menstruating to my supervisor and I would cover my face and cry due to the humiliation and my dignity being stripped from me. As we would serve the community fighting fire or just complete physical training I was called very disgusting names!! They would make racial slurs at my Native American Children. On the way to a fire assignment in New Mexico the hot shot crew purposely passed any and all restrooms and forced me to urinate on the side of the road as 20 men watched, again making me cry and stripping any dignity left in my body. I was also assaulted by a co-worker at work. When I was kneeling down getting into my fire pack this individual came up and sat on my head. Pressing his groin into my neck and head, he refused to let me up, holding me down as I begged and cried please stop! please get off! While he and the other men laughed at me. The men from the Hot Shot crew wrote WH*RE on the ice machine, directing it at me since I'm the only female out of 100 men. Then in another effort of trying to humiliate me they made fliers saying Alicia Dabney the WH*RE and throwing them all over my Engine Bay. On an a fire assignment in Texas my supervisor spit directly in my face in front of everyone on the assignment--they all witnessed it and I reported it. The same supervisor put me in a choke hold and slammed me down, trying to sexually assault me. I begged and cried for him to stop and not do this to me. When he released me I ran and reported it to upper management. Then another co-worker on the same assignment tried to break into my room so I called the Captain who had to physically come and stop this individual from breaking down my door. Now my forest Supervisor has placed me on administrative leave while the men who have assaulted me continue to work. So I ask why am I being punished for speaking the truth about these violation of my human & civil rights? I need to let you know that I feel threatened and am fearing for my safety. I'm asking for your help.
So now I will take this time to pray for us: Grandfather please come into these people's hearts and help them have the courage to help us women who are suffering day in and day out.
Respectfully Alicia Dabney
Please help me for I now fear for my life!!!
Alicia Dabney
232 n reservation rd
Porterville Ca 93257
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Today is
8/24/2012 Update: The Continued Fight for Accountability
Alicia Dabney, the face of Employee Victimization by big governmental machine that is steeped in cronyism, nepotism, corruption, and zero accountability.
It's her heart and person that we fight for, and by doing so, we fight for every employee that have suffered on job sexual assault, harassment, mental and emotional abuse, while working for and under the umbrella of the USDA.
With the assistance of all that have given Alicia Dabney's plight support, the success of all the supporting voices have caused her battle to gain the attention of a television report by Channel 17 News KGET.
The Result of the attention that Alicia's case has caused netted a response by "Randy Moore Regional Forester, Pacific Southwest Region, U.S. Forest Service", pasted to the right.
Lisa Donnelly, have been Alicia's rock in this fight, at Alicia Dabney's side, and I'll allow her rebut of Randy Moore's Letter to the t.v. editor, speak for itself:
MY RESPONSE:
I did not see Randy Moore's letter to the editor until today.
Randy stated that harassment and discrimination are not tolerated in any form.
This is an absolute LIE.
Randy Moore has refused to address numerous incidents of harassment and discrimination that I personally brought to his attention. He has encouraged and condoned retaliation from his managers.
For example, in 2011 I was contacted by at least 3 women who had been sexually and/or physically assaulted.
Randy's Human Resources staff had performed inquiries (instead of the required criminal investigation for allegations of violence in the workplace) - and the women were forced to continue working with the male perpetrators.
It wasn't until I became involved that actual investigations were conducted.
The findings were conclusive and the men were allowed to resign without being terminated.
Each woman was retaliated against for reporting the assaults and harassment.
At least twice in the past two years I've had to contact the Secretary of Agriculture because male supervisors who assaulted their female subordinates were hired back to work in the Region - under Randy Moore's watch.
As I speak right now both he and Kevin Elliott are allowing a male employee to harass and intimidate women on the Sequoia National Forest despite many witnessed complaints.
Randy Moore was present in July 2011 when, at Deputy Assistant Secretary Robin Heard's request, I brought about a dozen women (and 2 men) to meet with them to discuss the harassment, discrimination, workplace violence, retaliation, and bullying that was occurring throughout Region 5, California.
EVERY ONE of the women were retaliated against shortly thereafter and continuing to this day.
The reason Secretary Tom Vilsack pulled the Employee Relations and Civil Rights authorities from the entire Forest Service and placed all decision-making in the Secretary's Office is because of the civil rights violations occurring in Region 5 that I reported to THE WHITE HOUSE.
Robin Heard admitted this to me. This all has happened under Randy Moore's watch.
Randy - Tell us what you've done about the complaints from women against the Forest Supervisor on the Angeles National Forest. Because I've received complaints and have been watching to see what would happen. Women are actually terrified that he is returning.
You know that because you've seen and heard the complaints.
I could go on and on and on.
Randy Moore thinks he should be the next Chief of the Forest Service.
Randy - Do you think that your failure to deal with the discrimination, the workplace violence, and extreme harassment and retaliation against women in Region 5 should qualify you to be Chief?
Maybe it does since we've spoken with Chief Tom Tidwell numerous times and he also refuses to take action.
Lesa Donnelly
ASKFBM
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8/5/2012 Update:
Alicia, your mirror is where you find peace
Alicia Dabney, a person that has been subjected to "on job harassment and degradation", as documented in her own
" Alicia's letter to the Secretary of USDA", which we covered below and in this updated article, and you can read her actual letter to the right and below.
Alicia's Firing has been passed to all that have covered her suffering as well as others that work for the USDA, and all we can do from the outside looking in, is attempt to provide some degree of comfort to her consciousness, which is damaged and wounded from the frustration of a system that is apparently, to big to fight, or gain any since of satisfaction from.
Here's My Words to Alicia Dabney
Alicia, in this life time, we are responsible for our individual acts and actions, and when we are true to our mirror, what someone else thinks of us..., doesn't matter.
You owe no human being nothing more than our words, and if those whom you work with and worked for, do not value your words, then those individuals do not rate to be blessed with your presence.
Your person is what you represent, and it's the content of your character that define your convictions, and your convictions are your own..., and no other human being on earth.
You owe no human being any explanation as to the feelings within your heart, and your heart is your own to protect, because to allow any human being to cause you to doubt your consciousness, you have then lost your individualism.
Alicia, you served your position well, and the fact that a system allowed the flawed ones to get away with mal behavior, doesn't mean that your person was wounded, or your heart is any less valuable, for its the hearts that survive mal-treatment by others that are the stronger hearts and the stronger willed individuals.
There are many people who have been paying close attention to your suffering, as well as the suffering of all that have suffered while working for the USDA, and your letter to the secretary of the USDA provides everyone, a window to your wonderful and strong heart, and it's your heart that we all feel for, and its your great heart that defines the quality of your character.
Tomorrow, and everyday thereafter, realize that its you that have won this war of value, and your family is proud of your strength and through your strength, they to are strong.
There will be many that read these words that I direct towards you, and those that reads these words will feel the same consciousness of honor and pride, regarding a woman that have displayed great character while surrounded by human degradation, and it's your heart that we all admire.
Possible Future
Alicia, tomorrow is another day, so smile and enjoy it, because there will be many more days in your "better" future.
However, understanding that the USDA is such a screwed up system, and it is apparent that they don't care about the good employees, for the most part, flawed people and flawed systems always seem to provide ways to poke them back.
Noting that you were physically assaulted, meaning, any person that touch you, without your authorization, is defined as "assault" of your person.
Noting that you mentioned that you were touched many times without your "authorization" by fellow employees, in several manners that can be construed as "assault" or "sexual assault" in the courts of "criminal offenses", I would wonder..., "what are the statutes of limitations to charge a person for "assault" or "sexual assault" ", for touching you in a manner that you did not authorize?
Meaning, as you are pulled on someone's lap, that's sexual assault, if your touched while others witnessed being touched in a manner that "YOU" consider assault, that person can be charged "criminally" for "assault".
I suggest this because, if there are 3 to 5 years statutes of limitations for charging a person with "assault", and you can provide a witness that observed your physical body of being touched without your authorization, charging that person "criminally" takes that controls out of the realm of the USDA, and into criminal courts.
If a person is convicted of "assault" on your person, while you are on the job, then, by default, you can legally say that you were "assaulted" while on the job, and your case against the USDA, automatically becomes "something different".
Just a thought.
Enjoy your life Alicia, and remember to always be true to your mirror.
ASKFMB
8/6/2012
Victim of Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Character Degradation, Humiliation, now, her job is being threatened for actually
"Complaining to the Boss".
Alicia Dabney, if she were my Wife, my Daughter, my Sister, my Cousin, my Aunt, or my Friend, I would do everything in my power to defend her, because she is "Love" to me. Everyone of us has a female in our lives, and if that female in our life, is a victim of any kind, we take personal offense to anyone or anything that would harm the heart of our loved one.
Since I am not in Alicia Dabney day to day world, it doesn't mean that I cannot feel equal contentment for the degrading and demeaning acts and actions that she has suffered while working as an employee for the USDA Forest Services in California.
I close my eyes and I hear her story, I see my sister, my mother or any woman...., among a group of men, who use their physical dominant structure to intimidate, humiliate and debase any one woman and all women, with impunity, due to a system of protectionism and a system of no accountability.
In my mind and in my heart, I have complete awareness of the sense of disgrace that Alicia Dabney feels because she is a human being with the exact feelings and emotions as any man, regardless of the man's nationality, and if any man is bullied by a group of stronger men, the same degree of humiliation and disgrace becomes their conscientious burden and will exist until some sense of satisfaction is attained.
Alicia Dabney, today, continues to carry that conscientious awareness of the degradation of her person, for each and every instance of verbal abuse, verbal demonization, psychological and emotion denigration.
If my description Alicia Dabney's experiences appear excruciating, then imagine how she felt during each and every second of the abuses that she has been subjected to by a system that is the "prefect storm of systemized good old boy network protectionism". Essentially, Alicia worked with a entire system of Sanduskys, protected as Sandusky was at Pen State, while he raped boys.
Where Is the Justice, Where Is Management?
In any working environment, it is the responsibility of the immediate supervisor to take the required actions to squelch any type of on job abuse, be it, verbal or physical.
In any working environment, it is the responsibility of management to take immediate action, as necessary, as soon as the manager becomes aware of any type of abuse, or harassment that takes place between two employees.
In any working environment, it is the responsibility of Human Resources to take all necessary actions associated with the degree or level of abuses that is reported to them directly, indirectly or by hear say.
The lack of immediate and affective actions by any of the 3 levels of authority described above, implies a flawed system of managerial controls, which ensures that any employee that is being victimized by another employee, will suffered exponential emotional and psychological trauma.
Appalling and Unsatisfactory Management and complete failed leadership.
Alicia Dabney provides a voice audio example of verbal and sexual harassment in her letter to the right. She also follows up with written descriptions of her personal experiences of abuses that she has suffered, with the subsequent actions of being threatened to be fired for actually complaining, in a effort to demand that supervisors and management do their jobs by intervening when any employee has been harassed.
The threat of being fired is a second degree of emotional trauma, which seals the heart inside the consciousness of degradation resulting from the awareness of "no one will help". This level of conscientious degradation removes a person's ability to smile and give love to loved ones, because a state of emotional depression sets in.
The USDA, based on this one example that Alicia Dabney provides, is more than enough evidence to warrant a full investigation of the working conditions that employees are subjected to while working for the USDA.
The Lack of Leadership is astonishing, the lack of protection of Alicia Dabney is offensive, and the fact that these types of actions are ongoing today, suggests, the USDA is nothing more than a "Good Old Boy Network", run by men or leaders that are under skilled in the leadership positions that they hold, otherwise described as cronyism or nepotism.
Alicia Dabney is a human being, a woman, a mother, a sister, a aunt, someone that is loved, she deserves conscientious satisfaction for the burdens of pain that have been placed in her consciousness by a system that condones abuse and degradation.
In My Opinion
ASKFMB
7/12/2012
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Name : Lesa
last name: Donnelly
company name: USDA Coalition of Minority Employees
Job title: Vice President
comments: Thank you so much for your article. You have accurately captured the emotional devastation a woman undergoes at the USDA, Forest Service when she is being victimized by the dominant culture of good old boys/girls. There is a War on Women in this Administration. Like Alicia, many women and minorities have experienced the humiliation, degradation and despair of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. It must be stopped and the Secretary and his staff held accountable for allowing, condoning and perpetrating these civil rights and human rights violations.
Lesa,
you are very welcome. I see two specific separate entities of responsibilities associated with on job abuse & harassment.
Entity 1. The Responsibilities of an Employer
Entity 2. The Human Consciousness Affects of Abuse & the costs
E1. The Working environment directly affects the hearts and minds of each individual to the extent that their working environment becomes a fraction of ones emotional and psychological personal appreciation of their person/individualism.
When the work environment becomes abusive, it affects the consciousness long after the person leaves the office, and the emotional affect of degradation carries over to ones entire life, and can cause deep depression resulting from work environment humiliation. This must be understood by management, and all preventive measures should be put in place to ensure that an employee enjoys emotional and physical peace while on the job.
E2. It is the responsibility of the employer to take immediate actions to provide a peaceful working environment and anything less than professionalism is unacceptable.
The immediate supervisor or management represent the company itself, and when they are negligent in carrying out the interest of the company, the company itself is negligent.
When inept supervisors are allowed to fail, its the company that have failed, and the employee's duration of abuse must be represented in the subsequent punishment of the supervisor or the law suit brought against the company.
Accountability isn't just a word, and every employee must demand to work in an environment that allows for peaceful and professional interactions with everyone.