Female Employees Mistreated At Several National Parks

Above, the Yellowstone River. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is hard to believe how some people working in such beautiful surroundings are willing to engage in conduct that jeopardizes their careers and sullies the reputations of their profession.

In one instance, a park ranger is alleged to have engaged in sexual harassment with a female subordinate at Yellowstone National Park among other things. And this kind of behavior is not just confined to Yellowstone.

According to KTVQ.com:

BILLINGS - An investigation into allegations of sexual and financial misconduct at Yellowstone National Park revealed evidence of what some park employees called a “men’s club” environment that tolerated unwelcome and inappropriate behavior toward female employees. 

The report was published Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Interior Office of Inspector General. 

The investigation began in September of 2016 when an employee alleged male supervisors and staff in the Maintenance Division unit permitted a culture of gender bias, sexual harassment, and financial misconduct. 

The employee alleged that the misconduct occurred from 2011 to 2015 and included groping of female employees. 

The investigation at YNP is part of a department-wide investigation involving several parks in the U.S. National Park Service. 

A full House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform met in September to discuss the widespread allegations of mistreatment of female employees at Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon National Park and Canaveral National Seashore. 

A female employee at Yosemite National Park described a time where she was spied on by a male park ranger while she was showering at the park. 

The woman said she reported the incident to her supervisor, who sat the woman down with the male park ranger for an apology. 

She said no further disciplinary action was taken against the park ranger,

If more of these kinds of incidents happen, there's goes the wholesome image of "Ranger Rick" up in smoke before the general public.

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