Washington ? The federal agency led by former Lawrence lawyer Scott Bloch is once again drawing flak and making headlines.

According to the Washington Post, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which is charged with protecting federal workers and whistle-blowers from illegal treatment, is trying to protect its own employees from crimes of fashion.

Last month, the agency devoted part of its employee newsletter to “Business Casual” do’s and don’ts. Tight pants, short skirts and long fingernails are out; khaki trousers – for everyone! – are in.

Any among the 100-plus staff of lawyers and investigators who have spent their careers blind to the sartorial signals of official Washington were told, “You are not trying to stand out for the cutting edge look, but for your good judgment.”

Next came two pages of tips for achieving the good-judgment, noncutting-edge look.

Men: Avoid sneakers for receptions, leave earrings at home and strap on a “conservative watch.”

Women: Wear the conservative watch, plus tailored pants, tailored shirts, tailored sweaters and “a tailored purse … that hangs on your shoulder is often advantageous as it frees your hands for greetings (hand shakes) or holding a beverage.” For those who cannot master this, “leaving your purse locked in the trunk is preferable.” Also “make certain you can walk comfortably in your shoes.”

Scott Bloch, a former Lawrence lawyer and head of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, speaks with Kansas University students at Green Hall. Bloch's agency devoted part of last month's newsletter to dress code advice.

But what some employees found ironic, coming from an agency whose job includes fighting workplace sex discrimination, was the advice that women avoid tight pants and, “before choosing a skirt to wear, sit down in it facing a mirror.”

“You couldn’t help but laugh when you saw it. But then people took it more seriously and became offended and insulted,” said an office investigator who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. “This came through our boss. How is that going to make us feel?”

Office spokesman Loren Smith said his boss, Bloch, had “skimmed” the newsletter and “was under the impression it was for a discussion of what the guidelines might be.”

Bloch graduated from Kansas University’s law school in 1986 and worked at Lawrence’s Stevens & Brand law firm for 15 years before taking a job at the U.S. Justice Department.

He was counsel at the Justice Department’s Task Force for Faith-based and Community Initiatives, when appointed by President Bush to be special counsel.

The clothing flap is one of a string of controversies beginning with the start of Bloch’s five-year term, in January 2004. Early on, he was accused of failing to enforce a long-standing policy against bias in the federal workplace based on sexual orientation. Since then, Bloch also has been accused of retaliating against employees who disagreed with his policies and of tossing out legitimate complaints and whistle-blower cases to claim progress in reducing the office backlog. The Office of Personnel Management inspector general is investigating the allegations.

Bloch has denied the accusations, saying that, under his leadership, the agency has grown more efficient and receptive to whistle-blowers and employees alleging unfair treatment.

Smith said the newsletter tips do not replace the office dress code: basically, suits, pants or skirts that “communicate professionalism.” He said the official code, and last month’s advice, for that matter, came after Bloch objected to employee interpretations of business casual, which Smith said included “jeans with holes, flip-flops and the like.”