Summary: A follow-up on how “R.O.T.”—Retaliation, Obstruction, and Tolerance—accelerated into R.O.T.T.E.N.(ess), evidenced by documented complaints, substantiated misconduct, and active investigations—leaving one question: "Will OSP dismantle the pattern, or confirm it’s systemic?"

(A condensed overview is provided at the end for readers seeking a brief, high-level summary)

ONE "BITE" BROUGHT DEATH & SIN INTO THE WORLD. WILL "R.O.T." SPREAD TO OSP?

There is an old understanding, both in law enforcement culture and in broader moral teaching, that when wrongdoing is allowed to exist unchecked, it does not remain isolated. In the account of Adam and Eve, death and sin entered the world through a single act, "one bite." What began as one decision did not stay contained. It spread, took root, and reshaped everything that followed.

That same principle applies here.

The Evolution of "R.O.T." into "R.O.T.T.E.N."

Actions taken by the Phoenix VA Police Department (PHXVAPD) have been identified as "R.O.T." within the Department of Veterans Affairs, meaning:

• Retaliation, Obstruction, and Tolerance.

But rot does not stay contained.

Left unaddressed, it spreads. It deepens. It evolves.

It becomes "rotten."

The Question OSP Can NOT Ignore

Now, following consolidation under the Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness (OSP), the concern is no longer limited to PHXVAPD. The issue appears to be extending into the very structure responsible for oversight, raising a central question:

• Will this "R.O.T." spread into OSP and cause R.O.T.T.E.N.(ess) within, or will it be removed before it takes hold?

FROM "R.O.T." TO "R.O.T.T.E.N." - WHAT CHANGED

R.O.T.

• Retaliation: Actions taken against employees who engage in protected activity, including reporting misconduct, participating in EEO processes, or opposing discrimination, resulting in adverse treatment, isolation, or career impact.
• Obstruction: Interference with complaints and investigative processes, including discouraging reporting, redirecting or minimizing submissions, delaying action, or failing to properly document and elevate issues.
• Tolerance: The continued allowance of misconduct, including the retention of Giglio-impaired leadership and individuals with substantiated findings of racial discrimination or sexual harassment, where issues are minimized or not meaningfully addressed, often influenced by peer relationships or longevity.

R.O.T.T.E.N.

• Trauma: The reported psychological, professional, and emotional impact on employees, including stress, reputational harm, career disruption, and loss of trust in leadership and reporting systems.
• Enablement: The continuation of authority or position despite substantiated concerns, where individuals remain in power, reinforcing the perception that misconduct does not prevent advancement or retention.
• Negligence: The failure to act at leadership levels, including inaction, delayed response, or ineffective corrective measures when presented with known misconduct or substantiated findings.

Result

A workplace environment in which substantiated racial discrimination, sexual harassment, unlawful hostile work environments, and other alleged improper activities, including the January 16 ICE-related arrest, are perceived as being protected, minimized, or not meaningfully addressed, creating conditions that may be characterized as toxic, systemic, and self-protective.

HOW THE CONDITIONS CREATED "R.O.T.”

Like the first small bruise on an apple, the rot did not appear all at once—but that is exactly how it survives. It began subtly: small issues, handled quietly, dismissed, or redirected. Each instance alone seemed minor. But together, they formed a pattern.

At first, it was barely visible. Then it became normalized. And once it was normalized, it spread.

2019: The Start of the "Buddy System"

Around 2019, leadership changes marked a turning point. What followed was not immediate R.O.T., but the conditions that allowed it to form.

At the same time, structural changes began to reshape the environment:

• A "buddy system" culture emerged, where influence and access were tied to relationships rather than merit
• A Field Training Officer (FTO) program developed informally, operating through the same networks rather than a standardized structure aligned with oversight such as OSP
• Corporal ranks were issued without a consistent application, testing, or selection process—sometimes based on minimal online training or subjective preference—while others with formal classroom training were selected based on popularity or likeness
• Titles, credentials, and responsibilities were expanded through collateral duties and point-of-contact roles, often without clear standards or accountability
• An unofficial Criminal Investigations Division emerged, operated and controlled within "buddy" networks, offering plain-clothes roles and preferred schedules despite an existing division under OS&LE.

These networks consolidated influence—operating in plain clothes, separate spaces, and within tight circles—reinforcing a culture of internal selection and self-promotion

Over time, these practices created a pattern:

• Complaints were resolved off-record
• Required procedures were not consistently followed
• Substantiated issues did not always lead to clear corrective action

Sustained EEO scrutiny remained limited. Employees often left, did not follow through, or were reassigned, while influence consolidated among small groups operating in plain clothes, separate spaces, and informal networks.

This is how the rot began—not yet defined as R.O.T., but shaped by the conditions that allowed it to exist.

Over time, those same conditions would give it structure, a name, and ultimately, allow it to evolve into R.O.T.T.E.N.

2020: When the World Was Distracted

In 2020, the world faced the COVID-19 pandemic, national unrest, and widespread uncertainty. During this period, oversight was limited, and attention was diverted to larger global and societal issues.

Within that environment, existing conditions were not corrected—they were reinforced.

• Oversight weakened as focus shifted externally
• Racial tensions and internal issues began to surface but were not consistently addressed
• Informal practices continued, with matters handled improperly or left unresolved
• The "buddy system" strengthened, consolidating influence and control
• Additional obstacles emerged in processes such as interviews and selections, favoring those within established networks
• Collateral duties, special assignments, and plain-clothes roles were increasingly used to elevate select individuals

As the world focused outward, internal dynamics were allowed to operate with less scrutiny.

This period did not create the rot—but it allowed it to grow stronger, more structured, and more difficult to challenge.

2021: When R.O.T. Became Power

By 2021, the "buddy system" had solidified its power and influence. Positions of authority and desirable assignments were, for the most part, occupied by those within established buddy system. While some individuals remained in place through attrition, roles tied to influence were largely shaped by internal selection rather than objective standards.

During this period, challenging the system carried consequences.

• Individuals who questioned practices, policies, or decision-making were marginalized
• Dissenting views were met with ridicule, reprimand, or informal punishment
• Careers could be quietly impacted through reassignment, exclusion, or loss of opportunity

At the same time, the system reinforced itself:

• Influence expanded through relationships rather than merit
• Authority became concentrated within aligned groups
• Informal power structures operated alongside, and at times above, formal processes

It was within this framework that the rot fully formed. What began as conditions had now become structure. And once it became structure, it became power.

By this point, the R.O.T. was no longer emerging—it was established. And once established, it became increasingly difficult to challenge, displace, or remove.

WHEN "R.O.T." WAS FORCED INTO THE OPEN

For years, concerns existed—but formal documentation did not. Issues were raised, discussed, and experienced, but often handled informally, redirected, or left unfiled. This was not by accident. Documentation—and the formal processes that came with it—were avoided.

That changed in stages.

Early 2022: When Complaints Were Contained

In early 2022, a Black officer filed an EEO complaint and pursued Administrative Dispute Resolution (ADR). The matter was resolved at that stage and did not enter broader public visibility. While resolved, it did not disrupt the underlying conditions or shift the system’s reliance on informal handling. However, his engagement in protected activity placed him within the reach of R.O.T.

At that time, the system remained intact.

That changed in October 2022.

2022: When Documentation Could No Longer Be Avoided

A second Black officer, who maintained detailed personal records throughout his employment, filed a formal EEO complaint alleging racial harassment by a supervisor. Prior to doing so, he attempted to resolve the matter through Administrative Dispute Resolution (ADR). However, when the individual he identified as his harasser was included in that process, he lost confidence in the system’s ability to resolve the issue fairly.

He proceeded with a formal complaint.

This marked a shift.

• Documentation replaced informal handling
• Formal processes could no longer be avoided
• The system was required to respond on the record

What followed was not immediate correction—but exposure, which intensified through 2023:

• Additional complaints began to surface across units and roles
• Employees became more willing to document and report through EEO and HPP processes
• Reports of retaliation and resistance increased as formal filings grew

WHEN "R.O.T." WAS EXPOSED—AND DISMISSED

2023: Substantiated Sexual Harassment and Racial Harassment Tolerated

In 2023, the exposure moved from allegation to substantiation.

• A sexual harassment case was substantiated by Phoenix VA Executive Leadership (September 2023)
• Racial discrimination was substantiated through formal adjudication by the Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication (OEDCA), finding that the Black officer had been harassed over an extended period (October 2023)

But the reaction inside the department told a different story.

• The sexual harassment was covered up within the "buddy system."
• The Black officer's allegations were dismissed as "baseless," "made up," and "outright fabrication."
• Claims circulated that Black officer "pulled the race card," was "mad about a position," or used the complaint to get back at the department
• Sexual Harassment reported by a male was not taken seriously by Phoenix VA Executive Leadership
• The findings themselves were minimized, questioned, or ignored

In other words, even when the system was forced to put the truth on the record, it was not accepted—it was resisted.

At the same time, the impact spread:

• More employees—male and female—filed EEO and HPP complaints
• Retaliation reports increased alongside formal reporting
• R.O.T. had been exposed.

But exposure did not mean acceptance. It triggered denial—and a harder defense of the system.

For the first time, however, the system that had operated through informal control was being challenged through sustained, formal accountability.

And in response, it did not yield—it hardened.

2024: WHEN R.O.T. FACED EXPOSURE—AND FOUGHT TO SURVIVE

In 2024, the exposure of R.O.T. moved beyond internal complaints and into federal litigation.

• Bennett v. Department of Veterans Affairs

The Bennett Settlement: When Documentation Won

Most notably, in May 2024, in Bennett v. Department of Veterans Affairs, the United States Attorney’s Office, in coordination with the VA Office of General Counsel, agreed to settle a federal discrimination case filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. The decision to settle, rather than proceed to litigation, came in the face of extensive documentation and records maintained throughout the case.

A New Phase: External Scrutiny of "R.O.T."

This marked a new phase:

• The rot was no longer internal—it was being examined externally
• Documentation that had once been avoided was now central
• Additional cases brought increased visibility and scrutiny

Exposure Without Consequence

But exposure did not dismantle the system.

Instead, it reinforced it.

Despite litigation and substantiated findings, those within the system maintained their positions, influence, and control—further entrenching the perception that they were untouchable.

WHEN PEOPLE STOPPED STAYING SILENT – 2025 

In 2025, something shifted.

People began to speak up—not quietly, not informally, but directly and on the record. The fear that had once kept complaints contained began to break.

The "Short Latina Officer" Who Stood 10FT Tall and Reported Sexual Harassment

In July 2025, a 4'11" Latina officer filed a sexual harassment complaint against a supervisory official within the department with a documented history of substantiated sexual harassment and racial discrimination.

Badge and Credentials Taken Away and Detailed to Public Punishment

Within a week, she was detailed to another area, and her badge, credentials, and arrest authority were removed.

Many believed the intent was clear:

• Isolate her,
• Discredit her,
• End her career, and
• Terminate her employment

All before the complaint could gain traction.

But she did not back down.

She stood her ground.

And in doing so, she exposed more than a single incident—she exposed the system itself:

• Multiple investigations were initiated
• Additional scrutiny followed
• The "R.O.T." was exposed on a level extending beyond a single department

The system that once relied on silence now faced persistence.

And it only took one person to prove it.

Even if that person stood just 4'11".

2026: WHEN "R.O.T." WAS PUBLICLY CHALLENGED

In January 2026, Concerned Citizens brought forward issues they argue the public needed to know—bringing long-standing concerns into public view.

The January 16 ICE-Related Arrest

On January 16, an arrest by PHXPD involved a non‑English‑speaking undocumented individual who was later transferred to ICE.

Prior concerns about arrest practices had been raised and cleared internally. This incident renewed scrutiny:

• Were procedures properly followed?
• Was the ICE transfer supported by appropriate legal authority?
• Did leadership rely on policy—or informal practices?

Those raising concerns view this as a pattern, not an isolated event—bringing previously internal issues into public view.

Nonstop Investigations And Complaints

The department is currently managing numerous Professional Standards (Internal Affairs) investigations, EEO complaints involving discrimination, retaliation, and sexual harassment, as well as ongoing OAWP and OIG inquiries and fact-finding reviews.

While day-to-day operations are presented as normal, officers are being interviewed, asked to provide sworn statements, and contacted by investigators.

This signals a shift:

• Reporting is occurring despite risk
• Formal processes are being used rather than avoided
• Some voices are coming forward directly; others through third parties such as Concerned Citizens

Concerned Citizens asserts the public should be aware—and that the voices of those who cannot safely speak must still be heard.

THE CASE BRINGING "R.O.T." TO FULL FRUITION: RAMIREZ v. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

The VA is currently in active litigation involving Ramirez v. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Long-Standing Firearms Practices Under Scrutiny

Officers are now being questioned about long-standing practices involving personal firearms—bringing weapons to work, storing them in vehicles, showing them to one another, and handling them while on duty. For years, this was widely known and treated as normal within the culture.

Selective Enforcement: From Administrative To Criminal

However, in Ramirez’s case, what is described as an administrative issue was escalated into a criminal matter, resulting in termination.

According to the allegations being raised, this shift followed his engagement in protected activity, including whistleblower and EEO complaints in 2023.

This has raised a central question now being tested through litigation:

• If this conduct was common and tolerated, why was it enforced in this instance—and will it be applied equally to others?

As the case proceeds, depositions, interrogatories, and sworn testimony are expected—bringing past practices, decision-making, and enforcement consistency under scrutiny.

From this perspective, the case is not isolated. It reflects and exposes patterns that developed over years—and whether those patterns were selectively enforced.

FINAL QUESTION: WILL THE "R.O.T." BE REMOVED OR REMAIN

The issue is no longer whether problems existed within Phoenix VA Police.

It is also no longer a question of awareness at the executive level.

(PVAHCS) Executive Leadership: Awareness Without Correction

Phoenix VA Healthcare System's Executive Leadership was aware of these issues and had opportunities to correct them. Despite intermittent actions, the underlying conditions persisted and were not meaningfully resolved. These problems developed and continued under their watch, and the failure to implement effective corrective measures before the consolidation allowed R.O.T. to take hold and expand.

PHXVAPD Consolidated Under OSP— February 2026

As consolidation under the Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness (OSP) approached, oversight responsibility shifted—raising the question of whether the underlying issues were resolved, or simply transferred.

The issue now is:

• Will OSP remove the R.O.T.—or absorb it and let it spread?

The pattern is visible. It has been documented. It is now being tested in federal court.

What remains is not a question of awareness. It is a question of action and inaction:

• Will OSP take a "bite" of the same R.O.T. and become R.O.T.T.E.N., or will they discard the corrupted fruit before the R.O.T. spreads?

Because history has already shown what happens when it is ignored.

It doesn’t stay contained.

It spreads.

• Sworn testimony
• Document disclosure
• External scrutiny

Those will determine whether reform occurred, or whether the system simply evolved into something more difficult to see. 

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

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CONDENSED OVERVIEW (QUICK REFERENCE)

ORIGIN OF R.O.T. (2019–2021): The "buddy system" took hold, where influence replaced merit and informal power structures began to control assignments, promotions, and opportunities—laying the foundation for R.O.T. to form and normalize.

INFLECTION POINT (2022): Documentation changed everything. Complaints were no longer handled informally and were placed on record, forcing the system into formal EEO processes and accountability structures it had previously avoided.

EXPOSURE & DENIAL (2023): Misconduct, including racial discrimination and sexual harassment, was formally substantiated. However, instead of correction, it was dismissed, minimized, and resisted internally—reinforcing the existing structure.

EXTERNAL PRESSURE (2024): Federal litigation, including Bennett, forced scrutiny outside the system, showing that documentation and record-keeping could overcome internal resistance and bring accountability through external review.

RESISTANCE BREAKS (2025): Employees began speaking out despite risk. A 4'11" Latina officer’s complaint triggered investigations, exposing the system further and demonstrating that silence was no longer sustainable.

PUBLIC CHALLENGE (2026): Internal practices became public. Arrest procedures, investigative activity, and leadership decisions were brought into broader view, shifting the issue from internal concern to public scrutiny.

KEY CASE (RAMIREZ): The case examines selective enforcement—whether long-standing, tolerated conduct was suddenly elevated and applied unevenly following protected activity, raising questions of fairness and consistency.

GOVERNANCE SHIFT (FEBRUARY 2026): PHXVAPD transitioned under OSP, raising a critical issue: were the underlying problems corrected—or simply transferred to a new oversight body?

FINAL QUESTION: Will R.O.T. be removed—or absorbed and allowed to spread?

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READER NOTICE

Concerned Citizens Media encourages readers to independently verify the information contained in this publication, including through public records, official sources, or AI-assisted research tools. For additional information or clarification, readers are encouraged to contact appropriate Department of Veterans Affairs officials or their local VA facility directly.

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DISCLAIMER

Any attempt to retaliate against current or former VA employees, officers, contractors, or witnesses for engaging in protected whistleblower or EEO activity related to the matters discussed herein may constitute a violation of federal law, including 5 U.S.C. § 2302(b)(8)–(9), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and applicable VA anti‑retaliation policies. Documentation, reporting, or public discussion of substantiated misconduct, harassment, discrimination, or policy violations is protected activity.