Allentown NAACP members send letter accusing mayor of ignoring ‘incidents of racism’; Tuerk questioning letter’s origins
“If these reports are accurate, it is time for you, Mayor, to take a stand against racism in your workplace,” the letter said.
In an explosive letter, members of the Allentown NAACP allege “incidents of racism and discrimination” against employees of color within City Hall.
The five-page release alleges Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk and senior staff have ignored allegations of racism, and name a host of grievances against city leadership.
“If these reports are accurate, it is time for you, Mayor, to take a stand against racism in your workplace,” the letter said.
The mayor’s office questioned the validity of the letter. In an email sent to all city employees Thursday morning, Tuerk wrote that the NAACP letter was sent without the knowledge of the chapter president, and “as a member of the NAACP Allentown Branch, I can tell you we don’t do business that way.”
“We do not tolerate discrimination of any form in Allentown,” Tuerk added. “If you feel that there is discrimination happening, bring it to HR. If you are uncomfortable with HR, bring it to Law. If you are uncomfortable with Law, bring it to the Mayor’s office. I will ensure that we investigate so that we can get better together.”
Tuerk and a spokesperson did not return calls requesting additional comment from The Morning Call on Thursday.
Barbara Redmond, secretary of the NAACP, acknowledged neither chapter vice president Dan Bosket nor president Walt Felton were aware of the letter until it was made public, but said other members were. Bosket and Felton’s names, however, along with the names of four other NAACP board members, are on the letterhead.
She did not specify why the two senior NAACP chapter leaders were not involved or filled in.
Bosket confirmed he did not see or know about the letter before it became public. He said NAACP board members would meet next week to review the chapter’s “internal process” to make complaints public. He declined to comment further on the allegations.
Other NAACP board members could not be reached for comment.
What does the letter say?
Redmond said the organization has been in touch with 10 city employees across departments who say they have experienced racial discrimination within City Hall. None of them is named in the letter.
“We are taking these allegations very, very, very seriously,” Redmond said. “It’s just too many for us not to take the allegations seriously.”
The letter comes around nine months after a joint meeting between NAACP leadership and Tuerk about problems with “City Hall culture.” The meeting was prompted by the departure of two senior Black officials in 2022.
At that time, Tuerk said the culture has “traditionally been challenging” because of prior “strained leadership,” but he was working to turn that around. He also said, without sharing details, that he initiated investigations into problematic workplace behavior when he took office in early 2022.
The letter references that meeting, and says that the mayor at the time “assured us there were no racial issues,” but that “recent events within your organization appear to show otherwise.”
It alleges that nonwhite employees have been “verbally attack[ed]” and were subjected to “racial slurs and comments.”
Some specific allegations include:
White office managers and supervisors have verbally attacked Black and brown employees.
An employee was terminated for speaking up against racism.
Some white police officers have used racial slurs against their Black colleagues.
Employees of color are subjected to higher standards of dress code than white employees.
The NAACP has not independently verified every allegation they detail in the letter, Redmond said. She claims NAACP members have seen some evidence including emails and written complaints, which she said could not immediately be shared publicly.
The letter asks Tuerk within 60 days to “implement additional training and education programs to promote diversity and inclusion.”
“Please do so to avoid further actions being taken by the NAACP,” the letter reads.
“Further action” could include escalating the allegations to the national NAACP or taking legal action, Redmond said. She has since alerted members of the statewide NAACP chapter about the allegations, she said.