On January 16, advocacy groups sent a letter to President Biden urging him to support whistleblowers; the letters highlight the case of Commander Kimberly Young-McLear, Ph.D., a Coast Guard whistleblower who exposed discrimination, bullying, and harassment.
The letter is co-signed by National Whistleblower Center (NWC), Protect Our Defenders, Modern Military Association of America, Whistleblowers of America, and Walk the Talk Foundation. It first highlights the importance of federal whistleblowers throughout history and then underscores the challenges whistleblowers face. “Despite the incredible contributions whistleblowers make, they are often retaliated against and left to cope with a lifetime of deleterious consequences and traumas from the accumulation of psychological, financial, and emotional toll–without closure,” the letter states.
The letter then recalls Commander McLear’s story and whistleblowing journey: she is currently serving in active duty in her 19th year in the Coast Guard. She “served as special assistant to the cabinet Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security on a range of emergent domestic and international challenges and “spearheaded numerous internal Coast Guard policy changes including first in military to remove the prohibition for locs & similar natural hair styles for Black active-duty women, as well as strengthening LGBTQ+ protections and dignity,” among other important initiatives.
In 2014, Commander Young-McLear blew the whistle...
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