Being a Native American, you’d think Elizabeth Warren wouldn’t have a problem getting along with other women of color, but Politico is reporting that six women of color just walked away from her Nevada team citing a toxic work environment.

News: Warren's Nevada team in tumult as 6 staffers, all women of color, have departed the roughly 70-person campaign in the final stretch w/ complaints of a toxic work environment in which they felt tokenized and w/ state senior leadership at loggerheads. https://t.co/IxZtCX81Qu — Alex Thompson (@AlxThomp) February 6, 2020

“During the time I was employed with NV for Warren, there was definitely something wrong with the culture,” said Megan Lewis, who joined the campaign in May and departed in December. — Alex Thompson (@AlxThomp) February 6, 2020

Another recently departed staffer, granted anonymity because she feared reprisal, echoed that sentiment. “I felt like a problem — like I was there to literally bring color into the space but not the knowledge and voice that comes with it.” — Alex Thompson (@AlxThomp) February 6, 2020

Warren’s campaign did not dispute the women’s accounts but suggested they do not reflect a broader problem within her large, 31-state organization.

“We strive for an inclusive environment and work hard to learn and improve,” Warren campaign spokesperson Kristen Orthman said. pic.twitter.com/OJCm8zjqMb — Alex Thompson (@AlxThomp) February 6, 2020

There's no evidence that this extends beyond the Nevada team. Leadership problems exacerbated the issues. Warren campaign HQ in Boston quietly dispatched Dem operative Kevin Brown to NV in Nov. Former staffers say it was unclear who was in charge, Brown or state dir. Suzy Smith. — Alex Thompson (@AlxThomp) February 6, 2020

These problems are part of a much larger transition in Dem campaigns as a new generation of women and ppl of color fill the ranks of organizers and CM's. For generations, campaigns have been dominated by white men, especially at the top. That's changing. — Alex Thompson (@AlxThomp) February 6, 2020

Warren's campaign has been part of this change. CM Roger Lau is the 1st Asian American CM of a major presidential candidate. Pete's camp has also had some staffers of color depart and faced internal complaints from minority staffers. https://t.co/DefpP8aOmB — Alex Thompson (@AlxThomp) February 6, 2020

All three departed Warren staffers said they did not want to hurt the Massachusetts senator's candidacy but decided to talk because they believe their issues are not uncommon on campaigns and that will only change if the issues are aired. — Alex Thompson (@AlxThomp) February 6, 2020

Megan Lewis says she still intends to caucus for Warren but she said she felt compelled to speak out because she believed the campaign’s internal systems failed. Too often, Lewis said, such problems are ignored or swept under the rug because people fear damaging the larger cause — Alex Thompson (@AlxThomp) February 6, 2020

It appears as though there is trouble on the reservation. — P. Missile ?? (@P_Missile) February 6, 2020

I'm sure Warren has a plan for that https://t.co/xhEatX77qH — Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) February 6, 2020

Oopsie daisy, guess there was no plan for this — Bullneck (@Bullneck) February 6, 2020

Great now some of her staff will need to identify as black to continue the diversity — G.Fincey (@Fincey47) February 6, 2020

Wait a minute…are you trying to tell me that hiring people based purely off identity politics and trying to placate to unappeasable leftist mobs is a recipe for disaster…even under the best of circumstances? ??? #YeaNoShit — Mindy Robinson ?? (@iheartmindy) February 6, 2020

Crash collision at the intersectionality. — NH (@TwoQuoque) February 6, 2020

If only members of the Cherokee community warned us about this and we actually just listened to themhttps://t.co/BDQ1bdfRwS — KloboCop ?? اشتهارد (@BadSunAK) February 6, 2020

But Warren is the one who can unite, right? lol — Jake Johnson (@JakeJohnsonTX) February 6, 2020

Don't they understand that she opened doors for them? pic.twitter.com/kThnSsOV7e — Election WatchHog ? (@imperialist_pig) February 6, 2020

I am guessing they wanted off a sinking ship first and foremost…not that I disbelieve the claim that they were used as tokens, what with Warren's experience in trying to play that role in her previous profession. — NS (@comp_napper) February 6, 2020

Paging Ayanna Pressley, clean up in the race card aisle!! — Sacharissa Cripslock ?????? (@rawphonegirl) February 6, 2020

“Complaints, comments, advice, and grievances were met with an earnest shake of the head and progressive buzzwords, but not much else." what's happening at the warren campaign? — Smooth Bernie (fake) ? (@Smooth_Bernie_) February 6, 2020

Are they too "pushy" for Warren according to her own words? — …therefore..I…M (@therefore_I_M) February 6, 2020

Didn't the same thing happen recently in Pete's campaign? It seems the pretend progressives all have something in common. — kyle orten (@abiidingo) February 6, 2020

This will never happen with Pete Buttigieg and his campaign! Ain’t no black/ brown folks gonna work for his campaign to begin with. — Pete is a Racist ? (@MsSmartyPanda) February 6, 2020

Reality: They are tokens. @ewarren is a contrived fraud. — Wayne Sida (@neurosidafex) February 6, 2020

The whole campaign has been tokenism and pandering. — Wes 11 Pro Max ?️‍?? (@WesHagerman) February 6, 2020

Pandering? Are you suggesting the woman who promised her proposed Education Secretary would have to be interviewed and approved by a young trans person is guilty of pandering?

Establishment democrats to POC in a nutshell. — Mx Addams ? (@AddamsMx) February 6, 2020

No way I cant believe such a person as Elizabeth Warren would ever weaponize identity politics. no way. — Eat the rats ???️ (@ReginaldRiot) February 6, 2020

Bye bye Liz pic.twitter.com/IVEhsmwO5F — Andrew Werner ? (@andywerner88) February 6, 2020

Yikes. I thought the Warren campaign had already hit rock bottom. Then the floor dropped out. pic.twitter.com/qOaTJ5DtbC — ? Clark Feels The Bern (@Clarknt67) February 6, 2020

Bernie rn pic.twitter.com/0jZvPh5QvN — we train our boys to be killling machines (@richsuckass) February 6, 2020

someone needs to speak with her manager, this is unacceptable — bob (@atbobb) February 6, 2020

Is now a bad time to mention Pow Wow Chow? I’m gonna do it anyways. — Tax Jelnax, JD (@TaxJelnax2020) February 6, 2020

It’s never a bad time to bring up “Pow Wow Chow.”

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