Published: September 12, 2024
Monrovia – Vandalark Patricks, a former Margibi County Senatorial candidate and noted human rights activist, is urging the United States Embassy in Monrovia to reinstate 13 Liberian employees who were allegedly dismissed without due process. Patricks claims the employees were unfairly terminated after a child pornography video was shared in a social media chat room to which they belonged.
By Pius Tweh, Contributing Writer
According to Patricks, most of the dismissed employees were unaware of the video’s existence yet were penalized simply for their association with the chat room. He stated that Facebook, where the video was shared, traced and identified the individual who posted the content as an employee of the American Embassy. Despite this, the implicated employee was not among those dismissed.
Patricks highlighted that the American Embassy did report the incident to the Liberia National Police (LNP), which recommended reinstatement for the dismissed employees—a recommendation that was allegedly not followed.
The rights activist has accused the US Chargé d’Affaires, Catherine Rodriguez, of overseeing what he describes as an illegal dismissal of the Liberian employees without proper due process. “I trust the ability of the current US Ambassador, Mark Toner, to swiftly investigate this matter and reinstate those Liberians along with their job benefits,” Patricks stated.
Furthermore, Patricks has reached out to several international human rights organizations, including Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, and Human Rights First, as well as the United States Congress, seeking their intervention in the matter.
In his advocacy, Patricks also reflected on broader global issues, noting that while the United States and Europe are not utopias, they do provide environments that foster opportunities for their citizens. He expressed respect for the American people and their contributions to Liberia but emphasized the need for further actions to strengthen the long-standing relationship between the two nations.
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