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DOE Press Release
October 9, 2000

Energy Secretary Takes Additional Actions
to Fight Discrimination

Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson today announced five aggressive additional actions to reinforce the Department of Energy's (DOE) position on diversity in the workplace and to expand efforts to eliminate discrimination.

"We have made progress addressing concerns of racial profiling but more needs to be done," said Secretary Richardson. "Everyone within the Energy Department needs to understand that respect, fairness and equal opportunity are part of everything we do."

The five steps to be taken are:

• Direct the Inspector General to investigate whether there has been any profiling of the department's federal or contractor work force in security policies, processes, and daily operations;

• Revise contractor Diversity Plans within 60 days to address profiling based on race and national origin;

• Expand the DOE Ombudsman's staff to further bolster the department's efforts to prevent racial profiling and ensure equity;

• Direct field managers to include compliance with the revised Diversity Plan as a meaningful factor in determining the fee earned by contractors; and

• Develop a plan by a coalition of contractors, laboratory directors and human resource managers to coordinate recruitment and retain a diverse work force in the laboratory community.

These new initiatives expand the department's efforts to combat racial profiling. Earlier this year, Secretary Richardson directed the Task Force Against Racial Profiling, which included participant-observers from Asian-Pacific American organizations, to make policy recommendations after a six-month inquiry was conducted at department facilities.

Previous actions included:

• Appointing a national ombudsman;

• Holding a department-wide educational 'stand-down;'

• Conducting a comprehensive review of recruitment and retention problems;

• Making improvements in the equal employment opportunity systems and procedures; and

• Devising better tracking and evaluation of diversity management activities in contracts.

Media Contact: Jayne Brady, 202/586-5806

Release No. R-00-250

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