Wrongful Suspension of an IBC Employee’s Security Clearance

The OIG investigated allegations that an Interior Business Center (IBC) official reprised against a subordinate employee by suspending the employee’s security clearance after the employee filed an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint against the official. We determined that the employee made a protected disclosure, that the official knew about the disclosure before suspending the clearance, and that the official did not provide clear and convincing evidence that the clearance would have been suspended regardless of the disclosure. We also determined that the IBC official consulted with the DOI Office of the Solicitor, IBC Human Resources, and the official’s supervisor before suspending the employee’s clearance. The clearance suspension was reviewed by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) personnel, per a Memorandum of Agreement with the IBC, and the BOR recommended reinstatement. The IBC subsequently reinstated the employee’s clearance.