TSA to Eliminate Standard Practice of Retaliating Against Whistleblowers

May 13, 2016
TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger told a House panel that he has ended the practice of reassigning, demoting and even firing TSA employees who report misconduct, largely among senior management.

In recent years it has been standard practice for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers who report misconduct by senior management to be reassigned, demoted and even fired.   

"You should be alarmed and concerned with these issues, because TSA employees are less likely to report operational security threats or relevant issues out of fear of retaliation,” Mark Livingston, program manager for TSA’s office of the chief risk officer, told The Hill in April. “No one who reports issues is safe at TSA.” 

TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger told a House panel that he has ended this practice, outlining several steps to boost workplace morale, reform senior management and train checkpoint screeners to better identify threats. 

Neffenger testified in front of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, saying a number of people across the agency has been fired at all levels. 

In the past whistleblowers said senior management would use directed reassignments and early retirement to force out employees who reported waste, fraud and abuse, according to The Hill. 

Neffenger told the panel he "discontinued directed reassignments explicitly." 

"I don’t tolerate that," Neffenger continued. "It’s illegal, unethical and most of those people doing directed reassignments no longer work at the agency." 

Last year, 87 complaints claiming retaliation, discrimination and prohibited hiring practice were received from workers at TSA, according to the Office of Special Counsel