The President's Initiative on Race -- 1997/98

June 30, 1997
3801 Connecticut Avenue, NW #136
Washington, DC 20008-4530

Hon. Thomas H. Kean
Drew University
Office of the President
Madison, NJ 07940

Dear President Kean:

I am writing in connection with your recent appointment by President Clinton to the federal task force on race relations. I congratulate you on the appointment, and hope that your endeavors, and those of your colleagues, are productive.

I want to bring to your attention an egregious civil rights violation that has taken place, as it were, in President Clinton's own back yard: a civil rights violation perpetrated by an organization managed by one of the President's closest friends, and defended by one of his closest advisors.

I am a former employee of the Washington, DC office of the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld. I was employed in the capacity of legal assistant during the period June 1988 until October 1991, more than three years. My employment was abruptly terminated--despite an outstanding performance record--on October 29, 1991 only days after I complained to two attorney managers that I had been subjected to unlawful harassment by a supervisor, Christine Robertson. I was later secretly certified insane and potentially violent by Mr. Dennis M. Race, an Akin Gump partner, in retaliation for my complaint of harassment. Mrs. Robertson was later found by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia--in a lawsuit brought against the firm by a minority coworker of mine--to have exhibited racial animus toward black employees under her supervision.

Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., a nationally-prominent civil rights leader, trustee of Howard University, and close personal friend of President Clinton, is one of Akin Gump's senior managers.

Enclosed is a copy of the brief on appeal filed in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in connection with a lawsuit I filed against Akin Gump: Freedman v. D.C. Department of Human Rights, no. 96-CV-961. The District of Columbia is scheduled to file its brief in opposition no later than July 25, 1997.

Charles F.C. Ruff, Esq., who currently serves as President Clinton's chief White House counsel, defended the lawsuit in the District of Columbia Superior Court proceedings below, during Mr. Ruff's tenure as District of Columbia Corporation Counsel.

In effect, President Clinton's own lawyer has, in the past, defended the blatantly racist policies of an organization managed by one of the President's friends.

Sincerely,

Gary Freedman

cc: Charles F.C. Ruff, Esq. (The White House)
bcc: H. Patrick Swygert (President, Howard University)

___________________________________________________________

One America in the 21st Century
The President's Initiative on Race

The New Executive Office Building
Washington, DC 20503
202/395-1010

April 1, 1998

Mr. Gary Freedman
3801 Connecticut Ave., NW, #136
Washington, DC 20008-4530

Dear Mr. Freedman:

This letter is in response to your June 30, 1997 letter to Governor Thomas H. Kean, concerning you pending litigation. Governor Kean has asked that we respond directly to you.

Thank you for taking the time to send us information concerning your experiences with Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld. We understand that this subject is extremely important to you and we appreciate your willingness to bring this matter to our attention. We apologize for the delay in our response.

Please understand that since the President's Initiative on Race is a one-year initiative created to promote dialogue on race reconciliation issues we have no jurisdiction to address the concerns outlined in your material. While we appreciate the information, the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice is the proper recipient of your letter and we have forwarded it accordingly.

If you would like further information on the President's Initiative on Race, please refer to our Web page. Our Internet Worldwide Web address is www.whitehouse.gov. The Web page will be updated throughout our year long effort. Once again, thank you for taking the time to write and share this information with us.

Sincerely,

Randy D. Ayers
Executive Officer

_____________________________________________________________________

U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division

Employment Litigation Section
P.O. Box 65958
Washington, DC 20035-5968

KAB:WBF:CRT:pb
DJ 170-16-0

May 20, 1998

Mr. Gary Freedman
3801 Connecticut Avenue, NW #136
Washington, DC 20008-4530

Your correspondence of June 30, 1997, addressed to Governor Thomas h. Kean has recently been forwarded by the President's Initiative on Race to the Department of Justice for review and response. Please excuse our delay in responding.

You indicate in your correspondence that you believe you have been discriminated against in employment by the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld. You also indicate that you have filed a lawsuit over this matter which is pending on appeal in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

[Discusses Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and recommends that I contact the EEOC or a private attorney.]

Sincerely,

[not signed]

Katherine A. Baldwin
Chief, Employment Litigation Section
Civil Rights Division

By: [signed]
Carrie R. Thompson
Paralegal Specialist
Employment Litigation Section