A report from the Inspector General at the Pentagon details a pattern of sexual harassment committed by the Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) top civilian employee for seven years. The report disclosed that the former executive director photographed the buttocks of one woman without her permission and gave another woman an unwanted massage while mentoring her. Advocates for women’s rights in California are paying attention to the developments in the case.
The executive director retired while the Inspector General’s Office continued an investigation into his reported sexual harassment. He maintains his assertion that his only involvement with the women was in a mentoring capacity.
The former executive spoke with investigators and said he never took the photograph of the first woman or massaged the second woman. He declined to give an official response to the allegations. He pointed the finger at a disgruntled employee as the reason for the allegations.
The former executive admitted to investigators that interaction between himself and the two women in question took place. However, he says this interaction included nothing of a sexual nature.
The Missile Defense Agency is responsible for defending America and its allies against threats from ballistic missiles. The Agency released a statement in which it expressed disgust with the fact that the behavior from its one-time executive director took place for seven years. The Agency also promised to offer the victims of the harassment all the support they need. The director of the MDA plans to speak personally with the women to offer his full support for their plight.
Being sexually harassed at work can leave the affected person feeling isolated and without power. Many times, the shame and fear of repercussions will cause the victims of workplace sexual harassment to suffer in silence. Individuals who are dealing with sexual harassment while trying to perform their job duties may benefit from a conversation with an employment law attorney.
