U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL), chairman of the U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, on May 30 voiced support for action taken in Atlanta to suspend three police officers employed at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital in Decatur, Ga., for inappropriate behavior, including sexual harassment and misconduct.
“I am pleased to see the department finally take action at the Atlanta VA to stop this alleged harassment and hold those individuals accountable who allowed it to persist for far too long,” Rep. Bost said in a statement. “Under my leadership, we will continue to hold this administration’s feet to the fire when it comes to bringing accountability back to VA for good.”
In December, an oversight team ordered by Chairman Bost visited the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center (VAMC) to meet with whistleblowers from the police force who had reached out to his committee with allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, and misconduct within the Atlanta VAMC police department, according to the lawmaker’s statement.
During the next few months, the team worked with the whistleblowers and the VA to gather information. Rep. Bost then sent a May 3 letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough requesting information on the investigation and fact findings regarding the alleged problems within the agency’s police force; the letter also named the police officers employed at the Atlanta VAMC being investigated.
“Men and women who commit or allow environments of any form of harassment and misconduct — especially sexual harassment — have no place serving our nation’s veterans,” said Rep. Bost. “My oversight team rightfully listened to these whistleblowers when they came to Congress for help, but I have said it before and I will say it again, [the] VA’s own employees should not feel that they must come to Congress for action against toxic leaders to be taken.”