Montana senator: 'Bullying is rampant, sexual harassment goes unaddressed' in national parks

[TexasTowelie]

BILLINGS — America’s National Park Service has become a workplace where “bullying is rampant, sexual harassment goes unaddressed” and top employees go unpunished, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said Wednesday during a hearing sparked by a Yellowstone Park scandal.

“As a son, husband and father of four, including two young women, this is completely unacceptable,” Daines said. The senator was chairing a subcommittee hearing on National Parks Service workplace problems, specifically Yellowstone National Park.

Federal investigators in April concluded there was credible evidence of unwelcome conduct toward female workers in Yellowstone for several years.

Alcohol, inappropriate contact and remarks that female employees said made them feel “uncomfortable and degraded” were revealed during a seven-month investigation into Yellowstone’s maintenance division. That report followed a 2016 investigation into male Grand Canyon employees demanding sex from female workers and retaliating against women who objected. The NPS Office of Inspector General has issued eight separate reports on employee misconduct since January 2016.

Read more: http://missoulian.com/news/government-and-politics/montana-senator-bullying-is-rampant-sexual-harassment-goes-unaddressed-in/article_f731e061-c005-5687-82c0-094b1eb732a8.html

[BlueMTexpat]

1. Daines likely has an agenda

here. If he really were concerned about women, he would NOT be voting with his party in the Senate.

But if he can lambaste the National Park Service on behalf of Team Trump and make it look bad in ANY way, he will continue to do so.

I am not denying that there is sexual harassment. I merely suspect that anything Daines says is in service to GOPer goals.

[oberliner]

3. This is a major problem - covered by many LW sources

These Stories of Sexual Harassment at Our National Parks Will Make Your Skin Crawl

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/10/sexual-harassment-national-parks/

The National Park Service Has a Big Sexual Harassment Problem

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/12/park-service-harassment/510680/

The dangerous culture of male entitlement and sexual hostility hiding within America's national parks and forests.

http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/park-rangers/

[Kentonio]

5. Yeah, but when figures from a party that have never given a damn about sexism and sexual harrassment

Suddenly start making noise, you can usually assume there's an agenda. They'd happy use this to help Trump's plan to sell off that land to mining and oil companies.

[BlueMTexpat]

7. As I mentioned,

I do NOT dismiss the stories.

But I do suspect this particular messenger who has not otherwise shown himself to be ANY friend whatsoever to women.

This is also part of the slippery slope that leads to the privatization of our public lands, which is a VERY big deal in the West especially, although too many have still not connected the dots..

[DefenseLawyer]

9. There's only one solution to this outrageous behavior

We must privatize the National Parks!

[apcalc]

2. I have read this before

About the Park Service in the Grand Canyon.
Apparently, women are routinely harassed and mistreated. That agrees with Daines.

[Trust Buster]

4. Such ugliness within a backdrop of such great beauty. If that doesn't sum up the human condition.

[obamanut2012]

6. kick

[mrs_p]

8. Being a NPS ranger is my husband's

Dream job and we have spend many of our vacations and time off at national parks, including YNP. I would have no problem believing this from the corporation that runs the lodges and concessions, but am surprised and saddened it is the rangers. And there is little hope of change with the new administration.