Washington Works

Investigator Brings Experience and Passion to the Fight for Human Rights

David Hamilton brings his passion for justice to his work at the Human Rights Commission. He is a product of the civil rights movement in the 1960s and followed that with 30 years at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) where he began his work in equal employment opportunity (EEO) investigations.

“A typical week is an exercise in multitasking,” he smiles. “There are complaint interviews, developing investigation plans, witness interviews, rebuttal interviews, document review or requests for more information.”

Hamilton honed his investigator skills at the VA, investigating employment complaints while he was also the full-time clinical manager for some of the psychiatric treatment programs for the veterans.

“Knowledge of federal and state laws and investigative procedures and techniques are the backbone of my work,” he said. “But I also have to be able to communicate the findings and recommendations with parties who are frequently angry and adversarial.”

Acting director of the HRC, Dariush Khaleghi, said, “This requires close and sometimes intense emotional engagement between the investigator and the complainant and/or the respondent. David Hamilton does this masterfully. Tax payers must know that they have a great person working on their behalf.”

Hamilton says his job is not always easy. “The biggest challenge is to conduct an exit interview with a complainant who as been mistreated but there is insufficient evidence to prove a violation has been committed. This part is tough and stressful.”

EEO investigators like Hamilton carry 35 to 40 cases at any one time. Their goal is to settle complaints if at all possible through negotiation.

“Personally, it is my greatest satisfaction to facilitate and achieve a settlement, as this is the closest thing to a win-win outcome,” he said.

Hamilton joined the HRC investigative staff in September 2002. While at the VA, Hamilton held a variety of clinical and managerial positions including Chief of Substance Abuse Treatment; Chief of Social Work; Director of Community Residential Care and Director of Health Care for Homeless Veterans in the Puget Sound. He earned his master’s degree in social work from Loyola University of Chicago in 1972.

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