FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(中文版见下)
Community Groups Demand Justice for Sherry Chen
(New York, NY, June 20, 2018) – The Committee of 100 (C100), with United Chinese Americans (UCA), the Ohio Chinese American Association (OCAA) and nine additional community groups, demand justice for civil servant Sherry Chen. These organizations express concern over the Department of Commerce’s June 18, 2018 petition for review following Sherry’s victory in her quest to be restored to her job.
An award winning hydrologist at the National Weather Service (NWS), Sherry was falsely accused of espionage in 2014, only to have all charges dropped prior to trial in 2015. In 2016, she was fired from her job by the Department of Commerce. A Chinese American naturalized citizen, Sherry appealed her firing to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and won. In the April 23, 2018 MSPB decision, the Chief Administrative Judge Michele Schroeder ruled that the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) did not have cause to fire Sherry Chen, a “victim of gross injustice,” and that DOC top officials ignored or manipulated exculpatory evidence regarding Sherry’s conduct. The decision is extraordinary because employees win only a small percentage of these claims, and rarely benefit from such strong fact findings in their favor. Judge Schroeder ordered the NWS to restore Sherry’s position and provide back pay and benefits. Instead, the Commerce Department appealed the MSPB decision on June 18, 2018.
Steve Simon, Sherry Chen’s attorney noted, “In their appeal brief, the Department of Commerce has recycled arguments that Judge Schroeder rejected and, worse yet, ignored once again exculpatory evidence presented at the hearing that the agency buried during the criminal and disciplinary investigations preceding Sherry’s arrest and termination.”
Community groups are especially concerned that justice delayed will be justice denied for Sherry. The MSPB appeals board has a significant backlog and has a vacancy that will prevent it from proceeding with its work. “Yesterday’s decision by the Commerce Department to appeal rather than comply with the MSPB decision further delays justice for Sherry Chen,” said Haipei Shue, President of United Chinese Americans. “We greatly regret that the DOC could not abide by the rulings of their own Merit Systems Protection Board.”
“All Sherry wants is to return to the job she loves,” said Vincent Wang, Chairman of the Ohio Chinese American Association. “She is a loyal American and has been unfairly targeted from day one due to her country of origin.”
“The Commerce Department is clearly embarrassed by the publicity of its scandalous activities,” noted Jeremy Wu, Trustee of the Sherry Chen Legal Defense Fund. “By appealing the MSPB decision, the Department further shows its blindness to the truth and innocence of Sherry Chen and risks additional scrutiny of its prohibited practices and loss of public trust.” Wu added, “Supporters for Sherry Chen, including her colleagues in the National Weather Service, will redouble their commitment and have faith that justice and fairness for Sherry Chen shall prevail and those who abuse and misuse authority shall eventually be held accountable.”
Earlier on May 23, 2018, C100, United Chinese Americans and the Ohio Chinese American Association had organized a press conference on Capitol Hill along with members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), including Chair Rep. Judy Chu, and Representatives Ted Lieu, Grace Meng, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, to draw attention to Sherry’s wrongful termination case and to issue a letter signed by 31 members of Congress requesting the Commerce Inspector General conduct an independent investigation into the mishandling of Sherry Chen’s case. More than 130 Asian American community organizations supported the press conference.
“The Committee of 100 has long led in advocating for the fair and equal treatment of Chinese Americans in American society,” said Frank H. Wu, President of C100. “In Sherry’s case, the community is solidly behind her. It is important for us to stand up and speak out against injustice.”
The full list of organizations who have joined in the above statement is as follows:
80-20
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles
Asian Pacific American Justice Task Force
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)
Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (APAPA)
Chinese American Citizens Alliance (C.A.C.A.)
Committee of 100 (C100)
Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates
Ohio Chinese American Association (OCAA)
United Chinese Americans (UCA)
The Committee of 100 (C100) is a non-profit leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, and the arts. Founded by world renowned architect I.M. Pei and internationally acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, among others, it is an institution for U.S. citizens of Chinese heritage to join by invitation based on their extraordinary achievements. For over 25 years, C100 has served as a preeminent organization committed to the twin missions of promoting full participation of Chinese Americans in all aspects of American life, and encouraging constructive relations between the peoples of the United States and Greater China. www.committee100.org
(美国纽约州纽约市，2018年6月20日) — 百人会联合美国华人联合会、俄州华人协会和九个社区团体，要求公正对待公职人员陈霞芬。在陈霞芬要求恢复工作的申诉获胜后，商务部于2018年6月18日提出上诉，上述团体对此表示担忧。
陈霞芬作为水文专家任职于国家气象局，并曾荣获嘉奖。2014年，她被错误指控犯有间谍罪。2015年庭审前夕，所有指控撤销。但是，2016年，陈霞芬被商务部解雇。作为华裔归化美国公民，陈霞芬就遭解雇一事向考绩制度保护委员会(MSPB)提起申诉并获胜。2018年4月23日，考绩制度保护委员会首席行政法官米歇尔·施罗德裁定美国商务部无理由解雇陈霞芬，称她为“严重不公正待遇的受害者”。法官还认为，商务部的高级官员忽视或操纵了对陈霞芬指控的证据。这个判决的非比寻常之处在于，仅有极低比例的雇员从此类诉讼中获胜，而且非常罕见能在这种强有力事实调查中获益。施罗德法官指令国家气象局恢复陈女士职位，并支付其在此期间的薪酬和福利。然而，商务部却在2018年6月18日对考绩制度保护委员会的判决提出上诉。
陈霞芬的代理律师史蒂夫·西蒙表示，“在商务部的上诉摘要中，他们反复使用被施罗德法官推翻的论点，而更糟的是，他们又一次无视在听证会上陈列的陈霞芬申明无罪的证据，这些证据被商务部在逮捕陈霞芬前进行的犯罪与合规调查中雪藏。”
社区团体尤其担忧的是，对陈霞芬迟来的公正将变为被剥夺的公正。考绩制度保护委员会上诉委员会有大量积压的案件，等待审理遥遥无期。“商务部昨天决定上诉，而非执行考绩制度保护委员会的裁决，进一步推迟了陈霞芬应获得的公正对待，”俄州华人协会会长王文奎表示。“我们很遗憾商务部不能遵守他们自己的考绩制度保护委员会的裁决。”
“陈霞芬所要的只是回到她热爱的工作岗位”，美国华人联合会主席薛海培说。“她是一个忠诚的美国人，从始至终的不公正对待只是因为她的出生国家。”
陈霞芬法律援助基金会的信托人胡善庆博士说，“商务部显然对其丑闻被公之于众感到尴尬。商务部对考绩制度保护委员会的裁决提出上诉，不但彰显了该部门无视真相和陈霞芬的清白，而且加剧了丧失公信力的风险。包括其国家气象局同事在内的陈霞芬的支持者们，会付诸双倍的承诺，我们坚信属于她的正义和公平终将得到伸张，而那些滥用职权者也终将难辞其咎。”
2018年5月23日，百人会、美国华人联合会和俄州华人协会在国会山与美国国会亚太裔党团的成员共同举行了新闻发布会，亚太裔党团主席赵美心和众议员刘云平、孟昭文、拉贾·克里施纳默西等出席。发布会旨在吁请关注陈霞芬遭错误解职一案，并且公布一份获31位国会议员联署的信件，信函要求商务部检察长对不当处理陈霞芬案展开独立调查。发布会还获得了130多家亚裔社区组织的支持。
“百人会长期引领推动美国华裔在美国社会争取公正公平对待”，百人会会长吴华扬表示，“在陈霞芬一案中，社区是她坚强的后盾。挺身而出向不公正发声，对我们而言至关重要。”
支持上述声明的机构完整名单如下：
80-20
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles
Asian Pacific American Justice Task Force
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)
Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (APAPA)
Chinese American Citizens Alliance (C.A.C.A.)
Committee of 100 (C100)
Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates
Ohio Chinese American Association (OCAA)
United Chinese Americans (UCA)
百人会（简称：C100）是由杰出美籍华人组成的非营利组织，成员来自商界、政界、学界及各艺术领域，由蜚声全球的建筑大师贝聿铭及大提琴演奏家马友友等人发起成立，会员依据个人杰出成就凭邀请入会。成立近30年来，百人会汇集其杰出会员的集体力量，始终致力于其两大使命，即推动美籍华人在美国社会生活中的全面参与，促进美国及大中华地区间建设性关系的发展。更多信息: www.committee100.org.
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