Congresswoman and whistle blowers declare, “Not on our watch.”

As part of Whistle Blower week, the No FEAR institute held a tribunal today led by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Walter Fauntroy. The tribunal met and heard from several different federal government employees, medical doctors, nurses, farmers, military personnel, veterans, whistleblowers and other civil rights activist.

The Whistleblower Week in Washington is set up to promote and encourage laws that protect individuals civil rights of those who report on hazardous, illegal conditions, waste, fraud and abuses of authority in government and government funded positions. At the tribunal today, Jackson Lee and those testifying declared that no more illegal activities or civil rights violations will occur, “not on our watch.”

Several individuals testified about illegal activities in government agencies, lawsuits for crimes they didn’t commit, medical malpractice, and peer review shams in the medical community. One Nurse discussed the use of non-FDA approved drugs on patients in a hospital in Texas. The nurse was fired and her medical license was revoked, and it wasn’t until 3 years later when he told an investigative journalist about the illegal activities and the story was published did the government take any action and stop the use of the non approved drugs.

Jackson Lee led the tribunal and stressed the need for future legislation to reduce civil rights violations by companies across the country. The activities this week coincide with he sixth anniversary of the signing of The Notification of Federal Employees Anti-discrimination and Retaliation (No FEAR) Act of 2002, an act that many properly hail as the first civil rights law of the 21st century, said Jackson Lee.

The No FEAR Act requires that Federal agencies be more accountable for violations of anti-discrimination and whistleblower protection laws. According to the March 2008 Government Accountability Office Report, between 2001 and 2003, discrimination and retaliation cases cost the government approximately $656 million dollars in judgment and settlement costs.