Here’s some statistics I’ve gathered over the years from original verified sources — 99% of EEOC cases in federal government fail. That generally runs across every state and local government level of EEO as well (it varies between 97 to 99.5 percent). In Nancy Pelosi’s district, to give you a prominent example of one of the most perceived “liberal” areas of the country, San Francisco, the number for one of the past years was 99.2 % failure. That is severely staggering. What does the word fail mean in reality: it means that many cases don’t make it to court or an administrative hearing. That is not the cases that make to a hearing or to a court and then fail for the complainant who alleges discrimination or retaliation; that is just the number that get before the judge.

Those one percent of cases that get decided before a judge might be “not guilty” (or in the parlance of EEO, find for the accuser and not the complainant or worker alleging discrimination or retaliation. That means if public workers, 99 percent of the time the “alleged” manager will remain “alleged” and not held accountable. There may have been a settlement, but settlements are a way for “alleged” abusers to not be held accountable. That’s just horrific. The laws “looks perfect”, like a “perfect phone call.” But the aftermath, the results and outputs, looks the opposite of perfect.

With less than 1 percent of accusers being held accountable for discrimination, and the foolishness of settlements from the rich (CEOs, Hollywood stars/producers/famous black male comedians —yes Mr. Cosby I’m looking at you)) and the powerful (government agencies on all three levels) get to make some payoff to bury the case with a settlement and hold no one to account. A settlement may result in loss of fame or a managers job, but it does not hold people to account. It’s worse in some ways: it gives the appearance of accountability while not actually doing it. So yes, discrimination goes unpunished by not being held accountable 99 percent of so of the time that it is “alleged” (and the alleged are the brave subset of those who stepped forward to complain). The point-five percent of cases are the ones that are advertised to show the system that is failing is actually succeed. Sorry if you’re in one of those protected categories, and good luck with your complaint. Better chance of winning the lottery than seeing legal accountability. The law may get better, but the outcomes got worse.

Thanks for sharing this idea about the law and discrimination. (Obviously a sensitive topic for me.)