The Nation - News from Sept. 2, 1988

FBI Director William S. Sessions, vowing to stamp out any racism or discrimination at the bureau, said he has approved a new five-year affirmative action program to hire and promote more minority employees. At a Washington luncheon, Sessions outlined steps he has taken to eliminate discrimination over the last 10 months, but refused to talk about pending legal action taken by 311 Latino agents who filed a class-action suit in El Paso contending the FBI discriminates in the promotion, discipline and assignment of Latinos. In another case, Donald Rochon, a black agent in the Philadelphia office, has filed racial harassment charges.