Grand Canyon Superintendent Christine Lehnertz has been cleared of any wrongdoing as is returning to the park/NPS
Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Christine Lehnertz, who was removed from her job last fall after undisclosed allegations were made against her, has been cleared of any wrongdoing and is returning to the park.
In an email to Grand Canyon staff, acting National Park Service Director Dan Smith on Thursday said an investigation into the allegations concluded they lacked credence.
"The investigation has been completed and I am extremely pleased to let you know the allegations were determined by OIG to be wholly unfounded," Smith wrote. "Chris has been fully exonerated of all allegations. Chris will be returning to the park soon to join all of you and assume her duties as superintendent. As we work out the details of her return, she asked me to send her appreciation to you for the work that you have done over the past several months in her absence."
When the investigation into the superintendent began last October, she was moved to an unspecified position in the Park Service.
Lehnertz had moved from Golden Gate National Recreation Area to the Grand Canyon in July 2016 to help the park overcome a long-running episode of sexual harassment,
In January 2016, a report released by the Interior Department's Office of Inspector General said that for roughly 15 years life deep in the Inner Gorge of the Grand Canyon at times reflected rowdy, sexually charged scenes from a frat party for some park employees, with male employees pawing and propositioning female workers, some of who at times exhibited their own risqué behavior.
While Lehnertz was brought in to help end harassment at Grand Canyon, another episode was reported in 2017, according to an OIG investigation into a park manager alleged to have harassed an intern.
The incident ran for several months in 2017, according to the OIG report. The manager, who was not identified by name or position, resigned from the National Park Service in October of that year, about a month after he was interviewed by the OIG's staff.
In welcoming Lehnertz back to Grand Canyon, Smith called her "a talented and dedicated executive of the National Park Service and her commitment to building a respectful and inclusive workplace is sincere, broadly demonstrated, and widely respected. Together, you all have worked tirelessly to change the culture at Grand Canyon National Park. I thank all of you for the progress you have made at the park and for your contributions to the greater culture change within the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. Your continuing commitment to these changes is crucial."
Comments
yes! Finally some GOOD NEWS!
i don't know her but I was suspicious as soon as I heard she was accused. People are so threatened by powerful women that they try to do anything to bring them down. Great job with investigation!
It's so much worse than you think. This kind of problem is all over the parks. I worked at Bryce Canyon a couple of years ago and several managers in their 40's and 50's where actively pursuing and dating their own direct employees, most of whom where around 20 years old. This was a problem that went from the top down, it was really disgusting. They even had two rapes that year, one which led to one of the victims leaving the park while the rapist stayed.
@anotherparky while not condoning or brushing aside the things you witnessed, it is a societal problem. having working in various fields for the government and in the private sector, its everywhere, unfortunately.
Investigation into undisclosed allegations found no wrong doing? Why publish this? If we don't know the allegations, what difference does it make?
she was removed from her position. The allegations would have been made by someone who apparently has a right not to be outed as part of that process-- and outing the allegations might very well out that person. We can argue about whether that's fair given the result but whatever. It is news that this very public removal has now been reversed. I'm one of her employees; I'm glad for this result and hope we can try to move forward to deal with the crap of the last few years and maybe reach some semblance of normal eventually.
What difference does it make? Are you kidding me Bill Baehr? Superintendent Lehnertz suffered the pain and embarrassment of being removed from her job and park for an unfounded allegation. A public statement exonerating her is the LEAST the NPS.
confidentiality rules