CIA Director Statement on Zero Tolerance of Harassment and Discrimination at CIA

CIA does not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind. Both Agency policy and Federal law explicitly forbid harassment and discrimination and endorse equal employment opportunity regardless of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability. In addition, Executive Order 11478, as amended, prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation or status as a parent.

Every employee has the right to due process as outlined by civil rights statutes. The law specifically delineates our duty to treat each officer with identical standards of fairness and to offer equal opportunities for advancement. This applies to all employment programs and processes as well as management decisions that include recruiting, hiring, promotion, training, and career development.

Our Agency has policies in place to ensure the judicious handling of harassment and discrimination complaints brought to the attention of the Agency's Office of Equal employment Opportunity (OEEO). I encourage all officers to use OEEO as a resource when applicable. Appropriate disciplinary action will be applied to those who threaten or commit reprisals against anyone reporting an instance of discrimination or harassment. Also, I will continue to hold supervisors and managers accountable for enforcing the Agency's zero-tolerance harassment policy.

Discrimination and harassment run counter to the values we have pledged to uphold, and they are absolutely unproductive and undermine our effectiveness in pursuing CIA's mission. Each Agency officer shares in the responsibility of ensuring that CIA remains an equitable and harassment-free place to work.

Michael V. Hayden
Director