Grand Canyon Superintendent Christine Lehnertz has been temporarily reassigned while being investigated for allegations made against her at the park/NPS
Editor's note: This corrects that the email was sent by the National Park Service, not OIG.
Christine Lehnertz, who was appointed Grand Canyon National Park superintendent in July 2016 to help the park overcome a long-running episode of sexual harassment, has been temporarily reassigned while under investigation by the Interior Department's Office of Inspector General for undisclosed allegations.
National Park Service officials notified all Grand Canyon employees of that move Friday in an email.
"The National Park Service always appreciates the Department of the Interior’s Office of Inspector General for conducting thorough and impartial reviews of allegations like this, and I encourage you all to speak to the OIG investigators on the ground, if you have information that you wish to share with them," the email read. "In order to protect the integrity of the OIG’s investigation into these allegations, the Grand Canyon superintendent will move temporarily into a position outside of the park while the investigation is conducted. For now, Grand Canyon deputy superintendents will continue to serve as acting superintendent in accordance with their normal rotation.
"Once the Office of Inspector General completes its investigation, the National Park Service will determine appropriate next steps, based on the outcome of the OIG’s work. We will ensure that all park staff receive regular information associated with this process," it added.
Then-Park Service Director Jon Jarvis selected Lehnertz to succeed Dave Uberuaga, who retired rather than accept an assignment in Washington, D.C., after Grand Canyon was rocked by a long-running escapade of sexual harassment in the park's River District.
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.
The investigation generated a tawdry list of inappropriate behavior, from male employees taking photographs up under a female co-worker's dress and groping female workers to women dancing provocatively and bringing a drinking straw "shaped like a penis and testicles" to river parties. The incidents, a September 2014 letter to then-Interior Secretary Sally Jewell charged, "demonstrated evidence of 'discrimination, retaliation, and a sexually hostile work environment.'”
Lehnertz had been superintendent of Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California before moving to Grand Canyon. Educated as an environmental biologist, she worked for the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before a 16-year stint with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She joined the National Park Service in 2007 as deputy superintendent at Yellowstone National Park.
After a stint as the Park Service's Pacific West Region director from 2010-2015, she took over at Golden Gate in May 2015.
The email directed all questions regarding the matter to be directed to the Park Service's Intermountain Regional Office. Park Service officials there had no additional information to release.
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, reported late this past January, 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.
The manager's resignation came just three days before Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke released a survey that showed that nearly 40 percent of the National Park Service workforce has been the victim of sexual harassment, intimidation, or discrimination.
Comments
Episodes of sexual harrassment are not "escapades" the language in this article minimizes the tremendous harm to employees from this kind of hostile environment.
Chris Lehnertz is an amazingly capeable, dedicated, and caring manager. I hope the investigation clears her name.
"The investigation generated a tawdry list of inappropriate behavior, from male employees taking photographs up under a female co-worker's dress and groping female workers to women dancing provocatively and bringing a drinking straw "shaped like a penis and testicles" to river parties."
Comparing intrusion on personal space and literal groping to provacative dancing and straws....these two things are not the same. Quotes like these are only furthering sexism and the mistreatment of women
Your comments about the two things being apples and oranges only illistrates your own attitude and predispositions in the area of harassment, you are part of the problem. if you dom't believe all parties at GRCA, (male and female) had a piece of this. You don't really know the whole story, do you? Our policy needs to be equal rights for all, not special rights for some. NPS needs to only follow there own policies, and quit trying to overcompensate for a few bad players.
there
War was declared on the NPS by the OIG over 3 years ago and it is still going on. This disgusts me - those inside know what is going on and the lack of courage to stand up by agency senior leaders and to push back is a crying shame. Never in over 30 years have I seen this agency's senior leadership so chicken to stand up for its career leadership. Someone needs to investigate the investigators! Inexcuseable.
I had the privilege of working alongside Christine Lehnertz for seven years in the 1990s and have followed her career for nearly twenty years since. She is a strong leader of absolute professionalism and consummate personal integrity and decency. I am incredulous that some kind of mysterious allegations can sidetrack her illustrious career.
I have known Chris for over 20 years. I extend my trust in her and her work..
Connie
Chris is a great assett to the National Park Service and a good person to boot. The OIG operates under a "Guilty Until Proven Innocent" that strips federal employees of all their rights of due process and can destroy careers and families. The process that is used to investigate dedicated federal employees has to change. All my best to Chris - she deserves the benefit of the doubt in my eyes.