According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the Treasury Department has launched an internal investigation into the U.S. Mint in response to accusations contained in a letter delivered to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin by Black employees back in June.
According to the Journal, which has reviewed the letter, the department has been accused of "rampant racism" that includes a lack of diversity at the executive level and the failure of attorneys at the U.S. Mint to take complaints seriously.
The letter alleges, "several workplace incidents from recent years that the authors said have contributed to mistrust of Mint leadership by many Black workers. These included a white worker who received a settlement after being dismissed for allegedly displaying a noose in the Philadelphia facility, graffiti of the N-word in a Mint restroom and a white Mint executive using the term 'zoo keeper' to refer to a Black colleague."
"Mint employees have tried both anonymously and openly to address the racial tension and disparities, but Mint management has historically worked in tandem with Mint legal counsel to railroad and punish those who oppose racism," the letter also states.
According to the Journal, the letter was signed by six employees who stated they were representing more Black employees who were afraid to sign on over fear of reprisals.
In response, a Treasury official stated that "although some of the incidents occurred years ago, the Mint was reviewing how it handles such complaints."
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