Sexual Harassment at YNP Results in Disciplinary Action
Written by Andrew-Rossi on July 28, 2017
Sexual harassment allegations have resulted in disciplinary action against as many as 10 workers in Yellowstone National Park’s maintenance division.
Superintendent Dan Wenk told the Associated Press that an investigation found they subjected female employees to derogatory comments and other sexual harassment. This action is being taken amidst other widespread reports of harassment, bullying and misconduct in other national parks, which have tarnished the image of the National Park Service and its parent agency, the U.S. Interior Department.
The report from the AP says that investigators have uncovered problems at many of the nation’s premier parks — including Yellowstone, Yosemite, Canaveral National Seashore, and Grand Canyon — as well as inappropriate behavior toward female employees by the Interior Department’s director of law enforcement.
The agency’s Office Inspector General began investigating Yellowstone last year when a park employee complained to a local magazine and members of Congress that a pervasive “men’s club” environment had encouraged the exploitation and abuse of female workers.
Punishments will be proposed by Aug. 1 or soon afterward for the 10 employees and could range from reprimands to suspensions or firing, according to Wenk. The workers can appeal before the penalties become final.