Source: The Boston Globe
On November 22, 2001, The Boston Globe reported, "Workplace bias claims jump after September 11." The article noted, "The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has received 123 complaints of workplace bias nationwide against Muslims between Sept. 11 and Nov. 20, up from 47 for the same period last year. Alarmed by the increase, the EEOC joined this week with the US Justice and Labor Departments in urging employers to promote tolerance on the job." Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, now a professor at Brandeis University was quoted as saying, "'If there was ever a moment when we, as a nation, need to reach out to Muslims and be inclusive, rather than exclusive, it is right now. If there was ever a time when we should want to exemplify to the rest of the world our culture's tolerance, in contrast to the intolerance of fanatics, it is exactly now.'" The article noted that the EEOC will develop a new system to track "backlash incidents" related to September 11, which will categorize attacks by the victim's national and religious identity.