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The U.S. Transportation Security Administration is investigating allegations that supervisors in a Florida office of the Federal Air Marshal Service created a game board with racist and derogatory names for employees. The case is provoking strong reactions from some air marshals, who say it is symptomatic of widespread problems in the agency, which is charged with protecting air passengers and stopping terrorists.

We’re looking at perspectives from CNN, CBS, FOX News, and the Orlando Sentinel.

“Yes, the people who are supposed to keep us safe when we fly are reportedly using their time and our tax dollars to refer to gays as ‘pickle smokers’, blacks as ‘our gang’ and ‘Buckwheat’, and lesbians as ‘creatures’.” 

CNN brings the perspective of current air marshals who say corrupt management keeps them from doing their jobs.

“We don’t have managers that provide training or provide leadership or do anything other than produce conflict.”

“How can you say you’re protecting the public when you’re playing games….”

The photos of the white board game were taken in the air marshal service's Orlando field office. The service is part of the Transportation Security Administration, which issued a statement to The Orlando Sentinel.

"The Transportation Security Administration is dedicated to ensuring all employees are treated in a fair and lawful manner. ... Accordingly, TSA takes all allegations of misconduct seriously. The Federal Air Marshal Service will continue to provide its full cooperation and support to the investigation."

But many remain critical of the air marshal service, which has grown significantly since 9/11.  CBS talks with dozens of air marshals, including one who says the discriminatory game is part of a much bigger problem.

“The service is riddled with internal problems from the top down.  Supervisors, many of them white males, ex-secret service agents, who have created a hostile atmosphere... Intimidation, retaliation, discrimination against women, minorities, disabled, gays.  It’s created a real toxic atmosphere inside the agency, that in the belief of the people we have talked to, has really crippled the agency from within.”

In his 2010 budget proposal, President Obama is seeking increased funding for the Federal Air Marshal program to put more marshals on international flights. 

But Republican Congressman John Duncan tells CNN the service is "ridiculous." Duncan criticizes the program for costing the government $8 million on four arrests it made last year.

"It’s just a total waste of money, I know that any time you create a federal bureaucracy, it just grows and grows, and appropriations just go up and up, but as I said, look at the record. They haven’t done anything.”

So should the government use more American tax dollars to put air marshals on more flights? Do you think the program can overcome these allegations of discrimination.

Writer: Chelsea Donohoe

Producer: Newsy Staff