Feds investigating Air Marshal's office

COVINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Federal officials are investigating allegations of illegal discrimination, retaliation and mismanagement at the Federal Air Marshal Service office in Cincinnati as part of a larger probe instigated by two members of Congress.

The allegations surfaced in six civil rights suits filed in federal court in Covington over the last three years, even though the U.S. Attorney's Office tried to have most of the filings in the case sealed. The Kentucky Enquirer reported that federal officials cited national security in closing the documents.

New York Rep. Edolphus "Ed" Towns, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., instigated the probe and called the Cincinnati field office, which is in Erlanger, Ky., and Orlando, Fla., possibly the worst among the Air Marshal's service.

"Management has spent the last few years retaliating against all its employees instead of focusing on national security as their mandate requires," said lawyer Shane Sidebottom, who is representing four of the air marshals who sued.

Three of the lawsuits are still pending. Two have been settled for undisclosed sums. The sixth suit was voluntarily dismissed while the allegations undergo a federal administrative review but could be refilled later this year, Sidebottom said.

Along with the litigation, the congressional committee cited 15 Equal Employment Opportunity complaints in the Cincinnati office.

While officials cite national security when declining to say how many marshals are stationed here, Towns previously said the number of complaints represent a "startlingly high percentage" of the work force.

A spokeswoman for Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General said declined to comment.

The marshal's service is providing full support to the Homeland Security inspector general's review of the Cincinnati office, said Nelson Minerly, a regional spokesman for the Federal Air Marshal Service.

"I am pleased the Homeland Security Inspector General's office is following up on my request to investigate these serious allegations," Towns said in an e-mail. "I will continue to monitor the investigation as it progresses."