Hi Friend,
I was sickened by the news of the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. The National Whistleblower Center (NWC) stands in solidarity with the millions who are protesting the police killings of George Floyd and Black and other people of color and all of the people who are working to undo the structures of racism that allow such killings to proliferate.
I have spent this week considering what additional work NWC can do to combat institutional racism in the U.S. Since our inception, our aim has always been to empower those who address abuses of power, including those challenging racial discrimination. A key way that we can help today is by shining the spotlight on those brave whistleblowers who are speaking truth to power and ensuring they are supported and protected from retaliation.
I want to use this month’s newsletter to highlight the important contributions of whistleblower Mike Bovell, a police officer in Westchester County NY who secretly recorded fellow officers engaged in acts of racism, brutality and corruption, including framing of innocent people. Officer Bovell provided the incriminating tapes to the county DA in February 2019 and when he was told nine months later that nothing was happening on the case, he went to the media. Meanwhile, he was forced to hire a whistleblower attorney to fight alleged retaliation by his employer. NWC applauds Officer Bovell for his bravery and sacrifice and we sincerely hope that the new publicity will help him in his quest for justice.
NWC is committed to supporting whistleblowers with cases challenging the institutional structures of racism. This week we assisted a confidential whistleblower in the filing of a supplemental SEC petition showing that, through its algorithms and its auto-generated web pages, Facebook is helping white supremacist hate groups spread their vile messages and expand their ranks. As Facebook reassures its shareholders and the public that it is denying these groups a platform, the whistleblower puts forward more evidence that the opposite is true. Please scroll down to learn how to join our campaign to persuade SEC to act on this whistleblower petition and sanction Facebook for its deceptions about white supremacist and other hate and terror content.
We know that there is still so much work to be done, and NWC is committed to listening, learning, and stepping up. It will take all of us to make true change and undo the structures of racism.
Sincerely,
John Kostyack
Executive Director
