The current EEO complaint process is structured so as to place the most burden on the victim (including the cost of legal representation during the 2+ years of the case) and the second-largest burden on the agency (whose General Counsel resources are devoted to defending the perpetrators' actions in the agency's name) -- while there is essentially zero accountability or burden placed on the actual perpetrator.
Real discrimination can adversely impact not just the effected employee(s) but the actual mission and effectiveness of their agency. Therefore, when agencies defend only perpetrators of discrimination, they undermine their own effectiveness -- as well as the federal government's commitment to uphold EEO.
How effective can the No Fear Act be if abusive/discriminatory managers know that they will not be held personally accountable for their actions (retaliation included) -- and that instead the agency will view the complaining employee as the "problem" and the enemy?
I recommend overhauling the system to adjudicate civilian federal complaints in a similar way to military court marshals -- in that *both* sides should be provided a government attorney/advocate for their case.
