Despite the National Park Service's pledge to take a zero tolerance approach to sexual harassment incidents, a park superintendent accused of inappropriate behavior against a female employee was transferred to a larger park and had received a cash bonus, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.

An investigation of the charges by the Interior Department's Office of Inpsector General found credence in the allegations against DeSoto National Memorial Superintendent Jorge Acevedo, and also uncovered a number of other inappropriate issues for the manager. While the case was referred for prosecution, the U.S. attorney's office declined.

The OIG report, released this past March, said the superintendent "touched the employee inappropriately, made inappropriate comments, and invaded the employee’s personal space. The employee informed us that this contact and attention were unwanted, and that the employee had asked the official many times to stop. The official acknowledged touching the employee and confirmed that the employee had asked him to stop, which he said he did."

PEER on Monday said that since the OIG report became public, Mr. Acevedo was transferred to a position as "partnerships manager" for Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site and Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail at his previous salary, and that before the transfer he received a $1,000 performance bonus. 

National Park Service officials in Washington did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment.

It was a year ago when the Park Service announced a zero tolerance policy when it comes to sexual harassment in the agency. 

"Some have asked what it means for the National Park Service to have a zero tolerance policy for sexual harassment," then-Park Service Director Jon Jarvis said when he explained the policy in a memo emailed system-wide. "I want to clearly state that this means that when incidents of harassment are reported, I expect NPS managers to follow up on those allegations. Specifically, in situations involving alleged harassment, including sexual harassment, I expect NPS managers to initiate an investigation of the allegations and to act promptly to ensure that the harassment, if confirmed, does not continue. I also expect appropriate disciplinary action to be taken if any allegations are verified."

Last September the Park Service's then-deputy director, Mike Reynolds, now the agency's acting director, told the House Oversight Committee during a hearing into harassment in the National Park System that the Park Service had a sound strategy for ridding its 20,000-employee workforce of sexual harassment issues but that "this kind of change is neither easy nor fast."

“If, as the Park Service claims, there is zero tolerance, then why aren’t these firing offenses?” asked PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch on Monday, arguing that the “message points” praising Acevedo re-victimized his victims.  “Instead of zero tolerance, the Park Service accords double-digit tolerance to its managers.”