Washington, D.C. – In a shocking turn of events, around 10,000 employees from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) were either fired or laid off on Tuesday.
But what made the situation even worse was the fact that those employees were told to contact a civil rights officer who passed away last year if they wanted to report any discrimination concerns.
Who Were Employees Told to Contact?
According to an internal email obtained by The Washington Post, affected employees were advised:
“If you believe this personnel action is based in whole or in part on discrimination based on your race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability, or in retaliation for prior protected activity, you may file an EEO complaint with your designated HHS EEO representative.”
The email then listed Anita Pinder as the contact person — even though she died in late 2024.
Anita Pinder had served as an Equal Opportunity officer at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Her passing was publicly announced by Vaughn Green Funeral Services, and memorial services were held in early December 2024.
Position Still Vacant Months After Her Death
Shockingly, as of now, Anita Pinder’s name still appears on official DHS websites as holding her former position. Her job remains unfilled months after her death, indicating a major lack of oversight and communication within the agency.
A Symbol of Chaos Under DOGE Initiative
The error has come to symbolize the chaotic effects of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Created by executive order, DOGE has been aggressively slashing federal departments, staff, programs, grants, and even government websites.
The White House has promised that these cost-cutting measures would save taxpayers trillions, but critics say the effort has caused confusion, dysfunction, and deep employee morale issues.
“A Gut Punch” to Colleagues
Many who worked with Anita Pinder were shocked and saddened to see her name still being used in official communications.
Karen Shields, a former colleague, said:
“They couldn’t have run it past the people at CMS that were at the funeral and knew she died? This is a lack of communication. There is just a better way to do this.”
Shields and others described the email as a “gut punch” and proof of poor internal management.