LGBTQ workers are reportedly quitting their jobs at the Department of Justice amid hostile treatment, low morale, and concerns over the department's failure to issue an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) statement.

DOJ Pride, a group representing thousands of workers within the agency, raised these concerns in a letter to Attorney General William Barr (above) on Wednesday, following a survey it conducted in October of last year.

"The results indicate that morale is low among LGBTQ individuals currently employed in the Department, and that the Department is not recruiting and retaining top LGBTQ talent," it warned.

An EEO statement is a written policy declaring a commitment to protect against discrimination in the workplace, including in hiring practices. DOJ Pride pressured Barr to issue such a statement, and noted that his predecessor, Jeff Sessions, had failed to do so, despite the group's request.

Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building

Whether current civil rights law protects LGBTQ people has been a contested issue, with the current administration disagreeing with the Obama administration, which determined sexual orientation and gender identity were covered by prohibitions against sex based discrimination. Conversely, the Trump administration has thrown its support behind religious carve-outs that would allow for discrimination if a faith-based motivation could be cited.

"This affirmation is especially important to our members in light of the Department’s recent litigating position, which it volunteered 'in its capacity as the Nation’s largest employer,' that Title VII does not protect against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity," the letter states.

"Our members need to know whether the Department will continue to honor such protections with respect to its own employees, as applicable under binding EEOC precedent."

During his confirmation hearings, Barr said that while he personally believes there should be civil rights laws protecting LGBTQ people, he would not push for them, arguing it would be his job only to enforce existing law.

Meanwhile, DOJ employee concerns, as quoted in the letter, are damning.

"Agents attend[ing] the FBI academy that are gay and/or latino are definitely discriminated against and in many cases evaluated more harshly than other new agents and dismissed from the academy," reads one.

"Please do something about the FBI’s unfair evaluation process at the FBI Academy. There are many gay agents attending that are dismissed because they are not ‘bro-y’ or masculine enough," charges another.

One worker said that while they "understand that elections have consequences," it would have been "sound management practice for DOJ leadership to take conciliatory actions with LGBTQ employees" in light of the administration's anti-LGBTQ policies coming to light.

Yet another said, simply: "I think more than anything they just don’t think about us at all."

The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NewNowNext regarding DOJ Pride's letter. This article will be updated if the agency responds.