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Woman who accused VA police deputy of sexual assault asks government for closure

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Three years after an alleged sexual assault at the Atlanta VA, Shaneka Jackson says she's still dealing with the federal complaint process. (FOX 5)

ATLANTA – The victim of an alleged sexual assault at the Atlanta Veterans Administration Medical Center is calling on the government to hurry up and rule on her case.

Shaneka Jackson says she's frustrated by the ongoing back-and-forth with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It has been two and a half years since she filed her complaint with the VA's EEO office and more than a year since her last appeal.

The trial is taking so long that the man she accused, former Atlanta VA police chief Johnnie McCullor, is already retired.

“I'm sure I'll still have some trauma from it, but since it's still ongoing and open, I'm concerned,” Jackson, a former Virginia State Police Department dispatcher, told FOX 5 I Team. “I just don’t know what’s going to happen and I really want to know how this whole thing ends.”

The retirement of Deputy Police Chief Johnnie McCullor in June marked another turn in Veterans Affairs' efforts to root out dysfunction within the Atlanta VA Police Department. (FOX 5)

When the Veterans Affairs Office of the Senior Security Officer investigated her allegations more than two years ago, it sided with her, calling her reports “accurate and truthful.” The investigation said employees described McCullor as “vindictive, condescending, toxic and with a reputation as a 'womanizer'.” The report also said his behavior gave the appearance of a “romantic interest in Jackson.”

However, their EEO investigation, conducted by another department, was a different matter.

A suspected attack

The VA police dispatcher wants the EEO complaint heard

A former VA police dispatcher who accused a supervisor of sexually assaulting her says she wants closure. And she's asking the federal government to hurry up and give it to her. It has been two and a half years since the woman filed an EEO complaint and more than a year since she appealed.

Jackson, a retired Air Force military police officer and mother of three, says she hasn't been the same since what happened to her. She used to be an outgoing, career-oriented mother of three, but now she says she rarely leaves her house.

“I still suffer from daily panic attacks, anxiety and things like that,” Jackson said. “I am not capable of having relationships. I don’t trust men anymore, so to speak.”

Among other things, Jackson alleged that McCullor feigned interest in her career and helped her get a job with Culpepper & Associates Security, a private security company that also uses the Atlanta VA.

But then one day in 2021, Jackson claimed that when McCullor was alone with her in his office, he allegedly closed the door, exposed himself and groped her, saying, “I told you it would take you.”

Shaneka Jackson, a retired Air Force military police officer, told the FOX 5 I-Team she wants justice for her EEO complaint, or at least closure. (FOX 5)

McCullor denied all of her claims when he met with EEO investigators. He did not respond to messages from the I-Team for this story.

Despite the findings of the VA's chief security officer's investigation, McCullor remained the police deputy. The VA told the I-Team in a statement that “disciplinary action was taken in response to substantiated allegations,” but declined to elaborate.

The VA is still investigating reports of dysfunction within the police department, but cannot touch McCullor at this time because he retired in June.

Jackson continues to pursue her EEOC claim However, this agency, which enforces workplace discrimination and harassment laws, could force the VA to pay it damages.

“I just ask that they complete the process,” Jackson said. “I have nightmares about things that have happened to me, especially this incident, the sexual assault.”

A former dispatcher accused former Atlanta VA Medical Center deputy police chief Johnnie McCullor of sexually assaulting her in his office. He retired while the investigation was still ongoing.

She filed her EEO complaint with the VA two and a half years ago, but an administrative law judge dismissed it, saying it was not filed in a timely manner and that she was not a VA employee when most of her allegations were made.

Jackson appealed to the EEOC, which handles grievance complaints in federal workplaces. Her appeal was rejected and she appealed again. She argued that Culpepper contracted with the VA, which essentially placed her under the authority of the Atlanta VA Police Department and its top leadership.

“I was a VA employee,” Jackson told the I-Team. “If it wasn’t me, I wouldn’t have had a VA employee card.”

Amanda Farahany, an Atlanta employment attorney, said EEOC appeals can take a year to 18 months due to backlogs and staffing issues. (FOX 5)

Amanda Farahany, an Atlanta employment lawyer, said fear of protracted litigation is common among women who have been sexually harassed and traumatized. Jackson is not her client, but Farahany said she appears to be doing the right thing – paying attention to her case and hoping the government acts faster.

“The EEOC in particular is taking a long time to get through the process,” Farahany said. “They are underfunded, they don’t have enough people and, given what happened during the coronavirus crisis, they are even more insured than before.”

Your letter to EEOC

When Jackson's appeal turned one year old this month, she sent a letter to the EEOC's Office of Federal Operations.

“Please explain what happens to an EEOC case or appeal when the defendant resigns,” she wrote, later adding: “It’s been over a year – that’s 365 days of suffering. I am the victim. I just want impartial justice and fair compensation.” . Please help.

She received a response earlier this month explaining that her case was still open, explaining the process and saying: “Please be assured that the appeal will be dealt with in a fair and equitable manner. Thank you for your continued patience.”

When former Atlanta VA Police Chief Johnnie McCullor met with EEO investigators, he denied all of Shaneka Jackson's claims.

The I-Team reached out to the EEOC for this story but received a short response: “We cannot comment on a pending appeal.”

Meanwhile, Jackson isn't the only one still waiting for closure. EEO complaints are pending against other current and former Police Department employees, and the VA has not yet completed its internal investigation into the department's problematic culture, which led to Police Chief Beverly Banks being suspended with pay.

Atlanta VA Medical Center Police Chief Beverly Banks has been suspended with pay since May, when an internal investigation into the department's problematic culture began.

After this investigation began in May, the FOX 5 I-Team obtained an audio recording of a 2023 command staff meeting, provided by an officer present, in which Chief Banks told employees, “I don't want to hire black women.” more.”

“I don’t have any Hispanic women,” she was also heard saying. “Damn, I don’t want her either.”

Retired VA Police Officer David Bennett, seen here during an interview in May, said a toxic culture emerged in the Atlanta VA Police Department when top brass were not held accountable for bad behavior. (FOX 5)

Retired VA police officer David Bennett has his own EEO complaint pending, accusing Banks of revealing confidential information about him during a morning meeting. He is still in touch with his former colleagues and says the department remains in limbo because no one knows whether Banks might come back.

“Together, everyone wants to see change,” Bennett said. “You have a bit of a morale problem. The only way to solve this is from the top down.”

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