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From: David (last name withheld)
Subject: Letter
Date: August 31, 2024 at 12:22:56 PM MDT
To: <mikey@militaryreligiousfreedom.org>
Mikey/MRFF,
Thanks for recent advice and assistance in responding to disgustingly abusive and in-your-face Christian Supremacist inspired religious/racial harassment (…Project 2025 preview?) directed at me as an employee then promptly ignored if not actively encouraged by the administrators of the Phoenix VAMC. While my situation is not fully resolved, the MRFF crew has been extremely helpful in providing advice and encouragement in my ongoing effort to push-back for the Constitution, our shared civil rights, and my sworn oath to protect both!
My name is David (last name withheld) (...and please feel free to publish my name) and I am a retired veteran of 23 years. I served honorably with or in four branches of the U.S. military with great personal pride. I have always wanted to make a difference by protecting those who could not or cannot protect themselves. I also happen to be a 53-year-old black man. While I was raised in a Southern Baptist faith tradition, I became an Atheist/Humanist assuming that I could exercise my freedom of belief as someone not convinced of the existence of god(s). If you stand up for what is right and fair, you will be appreciated and revered. I was wrong.
In 2019, while working as a nurse at the Phoenix VA's Southeast clinic in Gilbert AZ, I was on a team of three that took care of veterans. A private contractor serving VA clients (a.k.a. Provider), that my team of nurses lead, was going to have a meeting about daily workload (NORMAL). This provider decided that we would have a prayer session in the room where I see my patients (NOT NORMAL)!
Being an Atheist/Humanist, I stated that I would not be participating and attempted to excuse myself until whomever wanted to pray were done, then I would return to the meeting. She grabbed my hand and stated that she, "was going to pray for me to become a good Christian whether I want to be or not". Pulling my hand away in shock, this provider would not relent stating once again (after trying to grab me a second time) that she, "was going to make me a good Christian today" and “I was going to pray with them". Pulling my hand away again, I said "no, and never touch me again"! The provider grabbed my hand a ridiculously aggressive third time! After offering some choice words about keeping her hands to herself, I left to seek guidance and possibly file a complaint.
Later that week while I was speaking with my Admin Clerk in the clinic office area, the provider loudly stated something smelled bad in the POD. Appeared extremely confused by her statement, everyone began asking what she was talking about and someone offered deodorizing spray. Spraying vigorously, she held her nose proclaiming "I know where the smell is coming from” then pointing directly at me "it's Dave, he stinks". Everyone working in the POD was shocked. This exceedingly arrogant, condescending, and racist provider got in my face saying "black people stink". A complaint was filed immediately on my behalf as I filed one as well (EEO Complaint #1).
The VA ‘No Fear’ Policy proclaims the “VA does not tolerate unlawful discrimination, workplace harassment or retaliation based on… race, color, religion… and does not tolerate retaliation for opposing discriminatory practices…”. The Phoenix VAMC response? Since filing my EEO complaint, I have been:
-ARRESTED for enforcing the VAMC’s masking mandate during COVID pandemic,
-removed and given ‘No Contact Order’ at clinic where the incident occurred,
-shipped around to almost every clinic under the Phoenix VAMC system,
-blacklisted by other contract providers,
-treated like shit by co-workers because I reported over-the-top religious AND racial discrimination.
These abusive, illegal, and unethical examples of vicious retribution led to filing two more EEOC Complaints and a ‘Section 1983’ Civil Rights lawsuit in Federal District Court in Phoenix.
5 years after filing my original complaint in 2019 I received a response from the EEOC-OFO (Office of Federal Operations) to my appeal of the EEO Administrative Judge dismissal my original appeal:
-New hearing ordered to assess the provider’s statements contrary to my claims verified by witness testimony.
-A hostile work environment had clearly been created and allowed to continue by the providers and VA Administrators based on obvious Religious and Racial discrimination.
-The judgement in favor of the VA by the administrative judge SHOULD NOT have been granted.
I have never known an organization so hell bent on violating employees’ rights and protecting the people who violate those rights. I find it shameful for an administrative judge to so blatantly ignore Constitutional mandates and my civil rights to protect whatever they may identify with (religiously and/or culturally). My successful appeal of that judge’s decision highlights the Phoenix VAMC’s ongoing environment of Christian supremacy and retribution for anyone willing to call them on it! The MRFF’s recent assistance in my 5-year battle with this bureaucratic maze of gutless hypocrisy and ‘naked ass covering’ has been a tremendous assistance to my morale and drive to see this in-your-face un-Constitutional and highly unethical situation to a full resolution!! I can highly recommend active-duty military and veterans contact MRFF in response to what will obviously be even more intrusively over-the-top attempts to support the supremacy of one religious view over all others (i.e., Project 2025)!
Sincerely,
David (last name withheld) (PS. Freedom is scary. Deal with it!)
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