Reps. Eliot Engel, D-NY, Barney Frank, D-Mass., George Miller, D-Calif., Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., have written a letter to Scott Bloch, Director of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), about the lack of evidence that the OSC has reversed its policy of ignoring the rights of gay and lesbian federal employees.
Bloch, who is responsible for protecting the rights of all federal employees, is failing to restore clear directives on the OSC Web site against discrimination based on sexual orientation, the elected officials said. Bloch has also instructed that only political operatives at the OSC be allowed to look into discrimination complaints against gays and lesbians. Another source of concern is that Bloch has instituted a ‘gag’ order preventing OSC staff from discussing with other federal agencies its policy on dealing with complaints of sexual discrimination, the pols stated in a press release.