The website in question is causing quite a stir among federal health workers as it publicly lists their salaries along with what it labels as “DEI offenses.” These offenses include details such as political donations, screenshots of social media posts, snippets from websites describing their work, or participation in a DEI initiative that has been removed from a federal website. Benjamin, a concerned individual, has even gone as far as to suggest that the acts of online harassment being perpetuated are criminal and should be investigated by law enforcement.
One federal health worker, not yet targeted by the list but who works at a federal health agency, described the website as a form of psychological warfare. The link to this site has been circulating within private group chats of federal health workers, causing some to feel uneasy and anxious. The worker expressed difficulty in determining whether the threat posed by the website is genuine, stating, “I don’t know anything about the organization doing this or their parent association. People are just paranoid right now.” Notably, the website is associated with the American Accountability Foundation, a conservative watchdog group.
This is not the first time the American Accountability Foundation has compiled such a list. In a previous incident in December, the group reportedly sent a list of names to Pete Hegseth, a nominee for defense secretary at the time, outlining individuals in the military who were considered overly focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Requests for comments from both the American Accountability Foundation and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the website and its implications have gone unanswered. The timing of the website’s emergence is particularly challenging for public health workers, coming on the heels of directives from the HHS instructing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) employees to discontinue any activities, jobs, or research related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to report colleagues who do not comply.
According to a CDC physician who preferred to remain anonymous, the memos from the HHS have instilled fear and panic among employees. The physician highlighted the aggressive tone of the directives, emphasizing the consequences faced if they are not followed. These directives have led to a sense of paranoia among employees, with some being placed on administrative leave due to perceived infractions related to the ambiguous memos.
The fear among public health workers is palpable, leading to the cancellation of events like a potluck luncheon out of concern that it could be misconstrued as promoting cultural diversity. Despite the challenging circumstances and the harassment faced, public health employees remain dedicated to their work, highlighting the importance of their roles and the potential consequences of a mass exodus from the field.
