AURORA, Colo. — Two veterans affairs employees say leadership has created a stressful, exhausting and sometimes hostile work environment at Rocky Mountain Regional VA Media Center.
They say they've had enough, and they're not alone.
Garland Dotson never thought he would be a whistleblower.
"I served 22 years active duty service in the Air Force with seven deployments," said Dotson, who is now an occupational safety specialist covering Veterans Affairs facilities across the state. "At least on my deployments, I knew what I was dealing with."
Dotson points to a specific example that occurred earlier this year. Records show a VA section chief approached him and "made a monkey-like motion" with her arms and torso, telling him "you look like a monkey."
The incident was caught on a surveillance camera, and there was a witness.
"Unless you're living underneath a rock, you would know that is discriminatory. We go through annual training for discrimination, hostile work environment," Dotson said. "Honestly, she should have been terminated, but unfortunately, if they like you, they love you. They will protect you."
Dotson filed a complaint about the incident. Records show a VA investigation found the claim of harassment was "substantiated," but Dotson said the employee kept her job.
"It's a toxic work environment," said Ron Mitcham, a former VA safety specialist who resigned three weeks ago.
He and Dotson both say the issues go much deeper than that incident.
"It's a 'do as I say,...
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