The Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General identified “systemic” issues in how the agency handles sexual harassment complaints, according to a new report.
The OIG found proper punishment often is not implemented when employees behave inappropriately, the Washington Post reported Tuesday, and “high level action” must be taken in response.
For example, some employees who have misbehaved received mild forms of discipline and in some cases, later received bonuses or performance awards, the report revealed. Some of the complaints involved senior officials, and the number of sexual misconduct allegations has risen since 2012.
“We’re talking about presidential appointees, political appointees, FBI special agents in charge, U.S. attorneys, wardens, a chief deputy U.S. marshal, a U.S. marshal assistant director, a deputy assistant attorney general,” DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz told the Washington Post.
Horowitz said some of the most concerning instances of reported misconduct came from the Civil Division of the DOJ.
A top lawyer of the department allegedly groped two female trial attorneys and made sexual remarks to them during an office happy hour. In the past, he had faced punishment and was demoted after he sent colleagues emails that were sexually-oriented.
However, the official was not suspended and did not receive a loss in pay or grade. Horowitz’s report noted that the case “presented potential criminal assault violations yet we found no evidence in the case filed that a referral was made to the [Inspector General] or any other law enforcement entity.”
Ian Prior, a spokesman for the DOJ, said the agency “does not discuss specific employee actions or comment on personnel actions or matters that may impact personal privacy.” The accused lawyer did not respond to a request for comment from the Washington Post.
Horowitz issued a memo concerning sexual harassment to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in May, warning that inaction would result in the continuation of "systematic issues."
“When employees engage in such misconduct, it profoundly affects the victim and affects the agency’s reputation, undermines the agency’s credibility, and lowers employee productivity and morale,” Horowitz wrote. “Without strong action from the Department to ensure that DOJ employees meet the highest standards of conduct and accountability, the systemic issues we identified in our work may continue.”
In response, Rosenstein directed a working group to create recommendations for how to address sexual misconduct allegations.
