AIDS Agency in Chaotic State, Critics Charge

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1993. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

AIDS Agency in Chaotic State, Critics Charge

Washington Times (10/29/93) P. C8 (Barras, Jonetta Rose)

Critics attest that the Agency for HIV/AIDS in Washington, D.C., is "in a state of chaos." Indeed, the agency has been plagued with numerous problems from as far back as a year ago, when an agency employee was sent on a $2,000 trip to the Virgin Islands for a conference which records indicate he never registered for or attended. Some employees and activists suggest that government money is abused by staff and contractors; one employee insists that the organization's education programs are "seriously off the mark." There have been charges of discrimination in contracting, and some say divisions within the office are affecting service. Racial undertones, in fact, ran throughout the agency's most recent problem, which involved the dismissal of agency director Caitlin Ryan and two other high-level officials. The incident began when Dr. Abdul Alim Muhammad, medical director of the Abundant Life Clinic in the District, accused Ryan of improperly steering a $100,000 contract away from his organization because of his affiliation with the Nation of Islam. An internal investigation found that Ryan did tamper with the award, and she was promptly fired. This, internal disputes, and the other problems persisting in the Agency for HIV/AIDS are so bad that the office appears to be having difficulty retaining a new director. The prime candidate recently turned down the position, saying that the agency was much too troubled.

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