Federal health workers express fear and alarm after a website called “Dei Watch List” published the photos, names and public information from a number of employees in different health authorities, which they describe as “goals” at some point.
It is unclear when the website, which mainly mentions black employees who work in agencies, mainly within the Ministry of Health and Human Services, appeared for the first time.
“Crimes” for employees on the website include working on diversity, shares and inclusion initiatives, donating to Democrats and the use of pronouns in their bios.
The website, said a government worker, is spread over several private group chats of federal health workers in different agencies, as well as via social media links.
The site also reached Dr. Georges Benjamin, the executive director of the American Public Health Association, who heard about it on Tuesday evening when a federal health worker sent it to him.
“This is a shock tactics to try to intimidate people who try to do their work and do it admirable,” said Benjamin. “It's clear racism.”
A governmental worker said they found out that the them were on Tuesday afternoon until the names on the website after a former colleague had sent them the link on social media.
“It's nerve -racking,” said the person who asked for anonymity for safety problems. “My name and my photo is there, and in 2025 it is very easy to google and look up someone's home address and all kinds of things that may endanger me.”
“I don't know what the intention of the list is for,” the person said. “It's just a scary place to be.”
On Tuesday evening, the site mentioned photos of employees and linked to more information about them under the head 'Doelen'. Later on Tuesday evening the head on every page was changed to 'files'.
A side-by-side display of the word change “goals” to “files”.
The site provides an overview of the salaries of employees together with what it describes as 'dei violations', including political donations, screenshots of messages on social media, excerpts of websites describing their work, or are part of a dei initiative that is scrubbed from a federal website.
Benjamin suggested that the actions of online intimidation are criminal. “She should investigate law enforcement.”
A person who is not on the list, but works at a federal health agency that the website calls the 'psychological warfare' website. The link, said this person, is distributed in their private group treasure of federal health workers, which means that some 'in panic'.
It is difficult to gauge, the employee said, whether it is a legitimate threat. “I know nothing about the organization that does this or their parents' association. People are now just paranoid. “
A comment at the bottom of the website says: “A project from the American Accountability Foundation.” That group is a conservative watchdog group.
It is not the first time that the group has made such a list. In December the Pete Hegseeth sent, when the nominee for Defense Minister, a list of names of people in the army who also considered it aimed at diversity, equity and inclusion, the New York Post reported at the time.
Neither the American Accountability Foundation nor HHS responded immediately to requests for comments.
The website comes after a bruising two weeks for public health workers. Employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say they have received “threatening” memos from the Ministry of Health and Human Services who instruct them to terminate activities, jobs and research with any connection with diversity, equity and inclusion and inclusion and inclusion In co-co-employees who do not comply with the orders. HHS supervises federal health authorities, including the CDC and the National Institutes of Health.
“The tone is aggressive. It is threatening consequences if we are not obedient. It asks us to report colleagues who do not comply, “said a CDC doctor who was not authorized to talk to reporters. “There is a lot of fear and panic.”
NBC News has assessed one of the memos, who instruct employees to assess “all job descriptions of the agency and to send a notification to all employees whose position description relates to setting up or promoting gender ideology that they are immediately placed on paid administrative leave . “
The result, employees said, is paranoia.
“I know people who have been placed administrative leave for observed violations with regard to these ambiguous memos. People think that if I put one foot wrong, I will just be fired, “said another CDC doctor.
In one case, a Potluck lunch among colleagues was hastily canceled for fear that it would be seen as a way to promote cultural diversity.
Despite the intimidation, public health employees said they are committed to their work.
“If I leave, who will replace me?” said a CDC doctor. “If nobody replaces me and leaves enough of us, who will do public health work?”
This article was originally published on nbcnews.com
