Hirono Convenes Hearing on Addressing Sexual Harassment in the National Park Service

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono, the Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, questioned Acting National Park Service Director Michael Reynolds and U.S. Department of Interior Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall on recent reports of sexual harassment and misconduct in the National Park Service.

Since January 2016, the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Inspector General has released eight investigative reports relating to workplace misconduct within the National Park Service. Reported concerns include how the National Park Service has dealt with perpetrators, including instances where individuals have been relocated instead of fired, or re-hired at a different date.

“As someone who has spent a great deal of time working on how to address sexual assault within the military, I recognize that changing culture can be difficult,” said Senator Hirono. “It is important, however, to address this issue head on. We need to identify the source of the problem, implement appropriate policy and procedural changes, incorporate best practices, and establish a culture of transparency and accountability.”

Tammy Duchesne, a National Park Service Superintendent from Hawaii, has been temporarily assigned to serve as the National Park Service’s Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response Coordinator.

Click on the photo above to watch Senator Hirono’s opening remarks 

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