Silence is Complicity – If You See Something, Please Say Something
We will soon move to prohibit any city work rule that would punish or prohibit whistleblowing.
For four hours earlier this week, I and my colleagues on the Steering and Rules Committee took testimony and asked questions about the evident mismanagement of the Milwaukee Health Department and its failure to properly notify the families of children found to have elevated levels of lead in their blood.
We discussed work rules, procedures, testing protocols, and, it seemed, everything else under the sun.
In my mind, I kept coming back to the children.
These children probably do not know my name or anyone else’s involved in this terrible situation. They do not know the difference between the different types of blood tests used or the different levels of exposure. They are just children who want what my own children and everyone else’s want – a chance.
And that is what makes the culture of “see nothing/say nothing” that seems to have been fostered at the Health Department so dangerous.
The city has tried to afford “whistleblowers” protection from retaliation and has tried to provide a path for those who want to come forward with their concerns. Consider the following resources:
- The Fraud, Waste, and Abuse hotline: 414-286-3440 or hotline@milwaukee.gov
- Inappropriate Workplace Behavior: http://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/User/jkamme/Policies/EmplComplaintForm_New.docx
- The Workplace Grievance Procedure (For Safety Concerns): http://city.milwaukee.gov/der/csc/WSGP
We will soon move to prohibit any city work rule that would punish or prohibit whistleblowing.
None of these will be effective if unused. Silence is too often complicity and, if we have learned nothing else from this situation, it can have awful consequences.
Please: See something, say something.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
More about the Lead Crisis
- Alderwoman Coggs introduces file to discuss MPS lead exposure issues - Ald. Milele Coggs - Feb 20th, 2025
- Gov. Evers’ biennial state budget prioritizes clean water, clean energy, and public lands for Wisconsin - Wisconsin Conservation Voters - Feb 18th, 2025
- Gov. Evers Announces Comprehensive Plan to Ensure Clean Water for Kids and Families in 2025 Year of the Kid - Gov. Tony Evers - Feb 18th, 2025
- More Milwaukee Schools Getting Tested for High Lead Levels - Evan Casey - Feb 15th, 2025
- Milwaukee Health Department Conducts Follow-Up Lead Hazard Assessment at MPS’s Golda Meir Lower Campus - Milwaukee Public Schools - Feb 14th, 2025
- Dangerous Levels of Lead Contamination Found At Three MPS Schools - Jeramey Jannene and Sophie Bolich - Feb 6th, 2025
- As Previewed in 2025 State of the State Address, Gov. Evers Approves DHS Emergency Rule to Strengthen Standards to Prevent Further Hazardous Lead Exposure to Wisconsin Kids - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Feb 3rd, 2025
- Wisconsin Joins Legal Effort to Preserve Tougher Standards for Lead in Water - Erik Gunn - Feb 3rd, 2025
- Attorney General Kaul Joins Multistate Coalition to Defend Lead and Copper Rule Improvements - Wisconsin Department of Justice - Jan 29th, 2025
- Superintendent Jill Underly Proposes Lead Water Removal Program For Schools - Baylor Spears - Nov 15th, 2024
Read more about Lead Crisis here
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