Log Cabin Republicans don’t have much use for Scott J. Bloch, a former Lawrence lawyer who’s head of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.

“He is a rogue official in my estimation,” said Patrick Guerriero, president of the national association for gay and lesbian Republicans.

The group is upset because Bloch, a conservative Republican, has said his office lacks authority to protect federal employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation.

In June, Log Cabin Republicans urged President Bush to fire Bloch, noting that Bloch’s policies contradicted earlier assurances that the Bush administration would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

“Scott Bloch has defied the president,” Guerriero said. “He’s turned back polices that have been in place since the Nixon administration.”

Attempts to reach Bloch’s office for comment Thursday were unsuccessful.

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In past appearances before Congress, Bloch has argued that past interpretations of the office’s responsibilities were incorrect and that antidiscrimination cases involving gays and lesbians should be referred to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He’s also indicated that conduct, not sexual orientation, determines whether an employee is protected against discrimination.

Bloch spent 15 years with the Lawrence law firm Stevens & Brand. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees at Kansas University.