Report cites air marshals for sexism, harassment

Federal air marshals are the last line of defense against terrorists in the sky, but agency employees tell of major problems on the ground, including supervisors who mistreat them. CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian got an advance look at a new government report - to be released to the public Thursday -- on the agency.

The 112-page Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General's report, titled "Allegations of Misconduct and Illegal Discrimination and Retaliation in the Federal Air Marshal Service," and obtained by CBS News, offers a contradictory view of a federal agency in charge of protecting the flying public.

The report -- the result of a two-year investigation into allegations of discrimination and retaliation within the service -- found "Federal Air Marshals repeatedly portrayed their supervisors as vindictive, aggressive, and guilty of favoritism."

In addition:

*Thirty-three percent of the female employees surveyed believed they had been discriminated against.

*A total of 454 formal or informal equal opportunity complaints were filed by employees between Sept 2006 and April 2011.

*"...employees perceptions of discrimination and retaliation are extensive..."

Despite all this, the report concluded "...our review does not support a finding of widespread discrimination and retaliation."

Senator Bill Nelson of Florida is one of the members of Congress, along with Rep. Darrell Issa and Rep. Edolphus Towns,  who called for the investigation.

A look at the secretive world of air marshals
Marshals fight battle in air and on ground

"If there is a lack of professionalism, especially among law enforcement-type folks, then that should be corrected and corrected immediately," he said.

Issa, who is the chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said: "This is a disturbing and dysfunctional situation. The finding of such low morale and the Inspector General's concern that many allegations by Air Marshals -- who are law enforcement officers charged with protecting passengers -- just aren't credible is disturbing. Passengers trust their lives to Air Marshals, I'm looking for more accountability than what I see in this report."

In February 2010, the Federal Air Marshal Service was the focus of a CBS News investigation. Craig Sawyer was one of nearly two dozen current or former air marshals who told us the agency is dominated by an "old boys" club of white male supervisors, mainly ex-Secret Service agents.

Watch the CBS News report on air marshals from February 2010 below:

"The culture of this management was to demean and demoralize their agents rather than to support them," said Sawyer.

The independent investigative news outlet Pro Publica also reported on the issue around that same time.

CBS News' investigation found problems in at least 14 field offices. In Orlando, a board was posted on a wall where managers allegedly used derogatory code words to refer to homosexuals, African-Americans and veterans -- employees who would be harassed or get undesirable assignments.

In a statement Tuesday, the Air Marshal Service said it has already taken steps to implement the Inspector General's recommendations. While the report noted the issues do not appear to have compromised the agency's mission, what's remarkable here is it exposes problems inside an agency known for its secrecy.

[tardalova]

It's a fact of life that even a turd can float to the top. There are just simply bad managers, just like there are bad Generals, Senators, CEO's, etc. These people that lodged the complaints are officers of the law and conduct themselves to a higher standard then most people. I think there is something to it.

[mar_vie]

Complaints of discrimination - formal and informal - filed by employees in DHS and its sub-components should be under investigation.

[bobby-l]

Ok, you have thousnds of highly trained personnel who probably will never in their whole career do anything, so they fight amongst themselves. I respect them, but aren't you a little tilted to want to have a job where chances are you will NEVER do anything you are trained for

[maz_beachbum]

I am on an airline and I have a "big" gun. . . I am the man, NOT

[tsnyd45]

What IF a high ranking official took a trip to let's say Brazil to a work conference. Along for the trip is his junior female subordinate, who to save taxpayer dollars is staying in her bosses room. Would you A- fire the high ranking official or B- transfer the subordinate after your trip or C- Recommend the high ranking official for a senior position in another Federal Agency or D- none of the above, after all it's HQ. Survey says.......

[Vision2012]

As a women, I am personally and professionally embarrassed by the failed leadership of this over bloated agency. It is time FAM Director Robert Bray live by his own words and live by his own belief of a "culture of accountability". I'm asking Director Bray to honor his own words and resign his position. This country deserves a strong moral and ethical man to guard our National Security. You, Mr. Bray, by your own failed leadership has only weakened our countries defenses. You are putting every flying American at risk as we speak by discriminatory policies.

[rwsmith29456]

"The culture of this management was to demean and demoralize their agents rather than to support them," This sounds like about any other employer in the U.S. And the end result is the same, too. Management can do anything they want.

[kcstrawberryblonde]

I completely agree, however with advances in technology, I see hope.
A lot of unscrupulous teachers, law officers(and other professions, too but those have made the news often lately)who used to get by with literally anything any time are now getting busted with citizens' miniature recording devices and consequently having their BS played out on the national news at least a couple of times a week these days.
It can start becoming the same way with terrorist bosses.In abusive workplaces two of abusive bosses' favorite tactics are to keep the staff from trusting one another,and to try to browbeat them into not showing any strength,believing that they are powerless against the big bosses, unless you become one of their toadies, in which case they will use you until they use you up and there is still no guarantee that they won't sometime throw you under the bus to save themselves,anyway.
Employees are right to be wary of angering a terrorizing boss.A recent study showed that sociopaths,who are completely devoid of a conscience,gravitate toward positions of power in high concentrations-an observation many of us made years ago.But there is strength in numbers and through technology you can find people who have been where you are,and also people who make a career of studying corporate thugs and supporting their victims.
If you are being severely abused in a workplace, even if the management team is"icing you out" you aren't alone.Scads of excellent books have recently been published about surviving workplace abuse-and most of the latest authors know better than to tell employees to run to HR or their bosses' boss if they are being harassed, because most people are now aware that doing so runs a high risk of escalating the situation.
Numerous web sites exist to talk people through workplace abuse and help them get to a safer situation as soon as possible.Perhaps the biggest one www.workplacebullying.org has a wealth of resources and is run by two clinical psychologists who specialize in treating victims of workplace trauma.There are other good ones, as well. My point is that for everyone who is assigned to a workplace today where you don't feel safe-perhaps someone is trying to sabotage you at work-you don't have to be alone with the abuse today.

As a retired Federal Air Traffic Controller, this doesn't surprise me that another Federal Agency would harass their employees. Harassment was rampant throughout the FAA when I was working. I knew quite a few women from many different facilities who were either sexually harassed or just harassed for just being a woman in what in the past was a male dominated work force. When they would file EEO complaints, the harassment would just get worse. That was why many wouldn't bother filing. There were always plenty of male supervisors and their male controller friends that would dispute the claims. Also the harassment wasn't confined to the women. Some male controllers were also harassed especially if they transferred in from other facilities and had high seniority. The way promotions are handled only adds to the environment of harassment throughout the Federal work force.

[democracy8]

Although I don't work in that industry, I had a similar experience. Not only did the harassment get worse in retaliation, but some of the nastiest people were the women who were sucking up to the male managers. It was pathetic.