By Hilary G. Bernstein, Interim Regional Director, Pacific Northwest Region, Anti-Defamation League,
I was dismayed to read the letter from Faith Tapper (Sept. 21), in which she claimed that no one at ADL had responded to her discrimination complaints following Rob Jacobs’ departure from the Seattle office in August 2007. For someone to lose her job due to Rosh Hashanah observance is deplorable, and this is the type of incident to which the ADL is always quick to respond. We have documented dozens of phone calls and letters since August 2007, and have responded to every one of them. None of the messages or letters during that time period has been from Ms. Tapper.
To Ms. Tapper: I sincerely hope you will get in touch with our office so that we may be of assistance with regard to the discriminatory incident in your former workplace. As one of the country’s premier civil rights organizations, the ADL is very experienced and knowledgeable in matters such as this. We can help and also refer you to proper and effective legal counsel. We hope to hear from you soon.
To Our Community: The ADL takes our mission of fighting bigotry and discrimination in the workplace, in the school environment, and in the community very seriously. It’s what we do every day. While our office has experienced significant change recently, the ADL is a strong and resilient organization, with extremely dedicated staff members, talented lay leaders, and committed community supporters. We are absolutely open for business, moving forward with purpose, and working to make a difference. There is much we can accomplish together for the betterment of our community.