Title: Recognizing and honoring Dawn Wooten and the integral role that whistleblowers play in holding accountable those that endanger members of the public and violate this Nation's laws, often at great personal expense and risk.
Policy area: Labor and Employment

Summary:
This resolution recognizes the role of whistleblowers and honors Dawn Wooten for reporting about alleged unlawful practices occurring at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1227 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1227

    Recognizing and honoring Dawn Wooten and the integral role that 
whistleblowers play in holding accountable those that endanger members 
 of the public and violate this Nation's laws, often at great personal 
                           expense and risk.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 18, 2020

  Ms. Wilson of Florida (for herself, Ms. Norton, Mrs. Hayes, and Mr. 
McGovern) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Recognizing and honoring Dawn Wooten and the integral role that 
whistleblowers play in holding accountable those that endanger members 
 of the public and violate this Nation's laws, often at great personal 
                           expense and risk.

Whereas more than 20 whistleblower statutes protect employees from retaliation 
        for reporting violations of various laws related to public health and 
        safety;
Whereas whistleblowers put their careers and livelihood, as well as that of 
        their families, at risk to alert authorities and the American public of 
        grave abuses;
Whereas, on September 14, 2020, a coalition of organizations filed a 
        whistleblower complaint on behalf of Dawn Wooten, a nurse working at the 
        Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia, alleging mistreatment of 
        detained migrant women under United States Immigration and Customs 
        Enforcement custody, including medical neglect and a high rate of 
        unnecessary hysterectomies without informed consent;
Whereas Dawn Wooten has been a practicing nurse for more than 10 years, 3 of 
        which she was employed at the Irwin County Detention Center;
Whereas Dawn Wooten contends that she was demoted and reprimanded when she spoke 
        out about abusive practices;
Whereas the practices described in Dawn Wooten's account, including the 
        sterilization of migrant women without consent, constitute grave human 
        rights violations; and
Whereas Dawn Wooten's allegations have been corroborated by other members of the 
        Irwin County Detention Center medical staff, and one former detainee has 
        come forward to share that she underwent an invasive surgery without her 
        consent while being held at the facility: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the integral role that whistleblowers play 
        in holding accountable those that endanger members of the 
        public and violate this Nation's laws, often at great personal 
        expense and risk;
            (2) honors Dawn Wooten for her courage in alerting the 
        American public to the reported abuses that took place at the 
        Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia; and
            (3) encourages all people of the United States to follow 
        Dawn Wooten's example of bringing light to violations that 
        endanger vulnerable populations, such as detained migrants.
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