Justice Department Rehires Attorney Fired Amid Gay Rumor

In April of last year I wrote about Leslie Hagen, a Justice Department attorney who was fired at the direction of incompetent and unqualified Regent University Law School grad/Christianist wingnut Monica Goodling (pictured at left) based on rumors that - Oh Heavens! - Hagen was a lesbian. Now, a small part of the destruction of the Justice Department under the Chimperator has been repaired and Hagen has been rehired. Of course, the task of weeding out all the incompetent individuals recruited into Justice is a job yet to be completed - I'd suggest that checking everyone with a Regent University (and similar Christianist institutions) degree might be a good way to start the winnowing process. Here are some highlights from NPR on Hagen's vindication:

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On Monday, the Justice Department undid a small part of the damage that top officials caused in a scandal of politicized hiring and firing during the Bush administration. The department rehired an attorney who was improperly removed from her job because she was rumored to be a lesbian.

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NPR first broke the story of Leslie Hagen's dismissal last April, and the Justice Department's inspector general later corroborated the report. Now, Hagen has returned to her post at the department's Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys.

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As NPR reported in April, a top aide to the attorney general had heard a rumor that Hagen was a lesbian. Discrimination based on sexual orientation is against Justice Department rules. But Monica Goodling, senior counsel to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, had Hagen removed from her job anyway. That was more than a year ago. The inspector general eventually confirmed the NPR report and added new details, saying Goodling not only ousted Hagen but also blocked Hagen from getting other Justice Department jobs she was qualified for.

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The paperwork makes it official as of Monday, Feb. 2. Hagen now has her old position back, but this time it's a little different. Her contract no longer comes up for renewal every year. Now, the job is permanent. It is not a perfectly happy ending for Hagen. Nobody official from the department ever apologized to her for what happened. She still owes thousands of dollars in attorney fees, and the Justice Department has refused to pay those bills.

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Hopefully, Goodling - who ultimately resigned - is barefoot and pregnant somewhere and being subservient to her man as preached by the Christianist loonies.