Raunchy affidavits filed in DHS sex discrimination suit — Updated: Barr goes under the bus?
**Posted by Phineas
More allegations about Animal House-like behavior at the Department of Homeland Security have come to light, this time in affidavits filed in the first of two lawsuits (so far):
The affidavits were given as part of a discrimination and retaliation suit filed earlier this year by James T. Hayes Jr., the head of the New York office for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Hayes claimed that Napolitano presided over a female “frat-house”-style department that routinely humiliated male staffers.
The two new affidavits described separate incidents in 2009. Both accounts described the actions of ICE chief of staff Suzanne Barr, who was also mentioned in Hayes’ lawsuit.
One of the employees claimed that in October 2009, while in a discussion about Halloween plans, the individual witnessed Barr turn to a senior ICE employee and say: “You a sexy” (expletive deleted).
“She then looked at his crotch and asked, ‘How long is it anyway?'” according to the affidavit.
“Several employees laughed nervously,” the affidavit said. The names of the workers making the claims have been redacted.
The other account recalled a trip to Colombia in late 2009, attended by ICE Director John Morton, Barr and Ray Parmer, who is special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
The account said Parmer and Barr were “drinking heavily” at the house of the deputy chief of mission for the U.S. Embassy there. It said Parmer took the BlackBerry of another employee, Peter Vincent, and sent “lewd messages” to Barr.
The affidavit went on to say: “During this party, Suzanne Barr approached me and offered to” perform oral sex.
The two accounts were submitted this week to the defense attorney in the case Hayes filed against Napolitano.
Is this the Department of Homeland Security or Cougar Town? Sounds like a perfect place for a President Romney to impose some adult supervision by appointing Rudy Giuliani as Secretary.
RELATED: Other DHS posts.
via Gabriel Malor
UPDATE: Well, that was fast.
ICE chief of staff on leave after new allegations of lewd conduct surface
The top Homeland Security official accused of cultivating a “frat-house”-style work environment has “voluntarily placed herself on leave” amid an internal review, the department told FoxNews.com late Tuesday evening — just hours after FoxNews.com contacted the agency about new allegations against her.
The official, Suzanne Barr, is chief of staff for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
(…)
“ICE has referred these allegations to the DHS Office of Inspector General and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility for review. Ms. Barr has voluntarily placed herself on leave pending the outcome of this review,” ICE Public Affairs Director Brian Hale said in a written statement.
Why do I have a feeling Ms. Barr will be “resigning to pursue other career options”, soon? Someone wholly innocent would fight these allegations tooth and nail. This sounds like the start of a “decent interval,” if you know what I mean.
Question for any Arizonans reading this: Did Napolitano have management problems like this when she was governor?
(Crossposted at Public Secrets)