Press Release: Gov. Evers, Sen. Baldwin Announce Comprehensive Review of Wisconsin National Guard’s Processes on Sexual Assault and Harassment

State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 04/24/2019 11:30 AM CDT
Office of Governor Tony Evers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 24, 2019
Contact: GovPress@wisconsin.gov or 608-219-7443
 
Gov. Evers, Sen. Baldwin Announce Comprehensive Review of Wisconsin National Guard’s Processes on Sexual Assault and Harassment
 
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin announced today that the National Guard Bureau’s Office of Complex Investigations (OCI) will be conducting a thorough, independent assessment of the Wisconsin National Guard’s handling of sexual assault and harassment. The assessment comes after Gov. Evers and Sen. Baldwin called for the assessment last month and Gov. Evers’ meeting with senior National Guard Bureau leadership earlier this month.

“I appreciate the National Guard Bureau’s Office of Complex Investigations’ swift review of my and Sen. Baldwin’s request,” said Gov. Evers. “The bottom line is that our servicemembers deserve to work in an environment that’s free of sexual assault and harassment and the fear they might face retaliation for reporting sexual assault or harassment when it happens, and I am hopeful that OCI’s thorough, impartial review will help us to ensure the safety of our folks in uniform.”

The assessment will be conducted by a team of experts over the next several months. The team will review the Wisconsin National Guard’s policies and practices, conduct on-site reviews at all major Wisconsin National Guard Locations, review allegations related to sexual assault and harassment, and provide recommendations on how to best prevent sexual assault and harassment.

“I look forward to the National Guard Bureau conducting this comprehensive review and producing a public report on its findings. The men and women of the Wisconsin National Guard deserve an environment free of sexual harassment and assault and I believe this impartial outside review of past actions, current protocols, and future improvements is the best way to meet that objective,” said Sen. Baldwin.

The assessment team will be available to meet in-person with former and current members of the Wisconsin National Guard. In addition, National Guard members can share concerns or complaints about sexual harassment and assault by sending an email to NationalGuardAssessment@wisconsin.gov.
 
###