Where is the line between personal feelings and professional conduct? How do you define it? Are they the same or are they separate?
Is it possible, to separate your personal feelings from professional conduct? What if you work for the Commonwealth in a position of power? That changes the outlook drastically doesn't it?
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Checkout this emailed complaint and give your opinion:
As the secretary of the Cabinet for health and social services I am writing you today to ask advice on where,who and how to formally file a complaint on a state employee (inside of Child protective services) that has engaged herself in discriminating and derogatory language towards homosexuals. I have a copy of a text message where one of your employees, while at work, sent me a text message in response to a conversation that we were having, "go to hell you faggot." I do happen to be a gay man, and she is very aware of this.
PArt of the details are that she is my sister-in-law. She is employed by the state in Winchester KY in the offices of child protective services. We were having a a discussion via text message, so I have the dialogue between us, about some family concerns. We were both a bit aggravated, she told me to "go to hell you faggot", and I let her know I would let her daughters now what their mother felt about their uncle ***DELETED***. She quickly followed up that she would not allow them to see me, because she would use her knowledge of the system to push through court documents that would require her to be present and she would not allow me to visit. I am very sorry that this sounds like a very dramatic mess, it is. I have no desire to concern anyone else with family issues.
Having said that, however, I have a serious problem with someone engaging, on or off the clock, on or off a personal phone, calling them a faggot and saying she would make it to where "her" girls could not visit me. I have serious problems, whether in my case or another individuals, that a state "social worker" posses the vocabulary and mentality of a bigot and of using their position to threaten individuals of child custody and visitation rights.
That is how all of this came about. Its a very grey area here and what road to take on this matter, for me and I am sure on your part as well. Bottom line, the state has in its retention, the state has licensed, the state trusts to protect the rights of children and families, to uphold impartial, unbiased action to advocate actions in the best interest of children, a woman by the name of *****DELETED****** that has in her heart hatred, bigotry and the inability to see past her own desire to control and manipulate a system of which she has been sworn to uphold.
I am sorry for bring you all into my world the thought of her in a position with that in her heart sickens me.
I have spoken the the secretary in her office and she clarified that my sister-in-law was at work, on the clock while all of this occurred. I had a lengthy discussion yesterday with ****NAME DELETED - THIS PERSON IS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE COMMONWEALTH*****.
He is in agreement with you (Jordan Palmer) that it is a very dysfunctional area of the state. One thing I even discovered is that it is not required to be a licensed social worker to perform duties as one, inside of this area of the state. The state requires massage therapists to be licensed, and they could do for less harm than a social worker, hands down. But I digress. He agrees that bigoted remarks have no place inside or outside of the workplace for someone retaining a job inside of the Health and Social Services. He also agrees that she is most likely to claim that she was on a break when she tested such remarks, he knows how most disputes end inside of the state level. He also agrees that it is very unfortunate that the state, even with proof contrary to inappropriate behavior, most likely will defend their employees, for what ever reason. I am curious to what affect it would be different if she had called me a N*&#er, or Jew, or Retard...had I been any of those minorities that the hateful remarks could be applied too. I am certain that this would hold different weight inside of the state level.
Bottom line, from where I am standing, this state is in need of a reformation. Every person in every office that I have spoken to agrees that bigoted comments, inside or out of professional settings, from a state employee, are wrong. Bottom line. By having no legislation and having no rights or no recourse in such matters, they in practice ARE condoning bigoted actions towards LGBT individuals. The are that seems like it should be more strict is being revealed as one of the most lax and dysfunctional.
So, to me if the commonwealth is part of the problem, then they need to be addressed and admit that they are allowing such behavior to persist. They are endorsing this.
Please share your comments below; they will be forwarded to the Commonwealth, and the person who sent this complaint to Kentucky Equality Federation.
NOTE: Posting this complaint was done with permission from the plaintiff to gauge public opinion on the issue.