Watch 2:24
Shutdown impact: Training, preparation for fighting wildfires
An unexpected impact of the government shutdown: canceled training for wildland firefighters. With wildfires becoming more frequent, firefighters have a shorter off-season to prepare. Now that compressed window for training and gear acquisition has become even shorter due to the…
Watch 5:12
Forest Service chief tells Congress that progress on harassment ‘will take longer than any of us wants’
Earlier this year, the PBS NewsHour reported on sexual harassment and assault within the U.S. Forest Service, revealing a culture of abuse and retaliation. On Thursday, Chief Vicki Christiansen and a former employee who faced harassment testified before the House…
Forest Service chief says there’s progress in combating sexual misconduct. Dozens of women say there’s not enough
Lawmakers at Thursday’s hourslong hearing were presented with a dichotomy: an agency that promises it has made progress in addressing harassment and reprisal, and a former employee who says the changes amount to a “band-aid” to deep-seated problems.
WATCH: House committee holds hearing on misconduct and retaliation in the U.S. Forest Service
In interviews with the PBS NewsHour last year, 34 women who worked for the Forest Service across multiple regions described a workplace culture that was hostile to women, and an agency that often fell short in properly addressing complaints of…
The review comes weeks after a PBS NewsHour investigation into these issues, especially in the agency’s firefighting ranks, along with the departure of Forest Service Chief Tony Tooke amid allegations of his own sexual misconduct.
The chief of the U.S. Forest Service, Tony Tooke, stepped down this week following a NewsHour investigation into allegations of a culture of sexual misconduct and retaliation within that agency, as well as questions about his own behavior. William Brangham…
Firefighters Darla Bush, Jonel Wagoner and Darlene Hall filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2014, claiming sexual harassment of and retaliation against women in the Forest Service in California.
Forest Service will test new process for investigating sexual misconduct after report finds distrust in the system…
The news comes days after a PBS NewsHour investigation revealed a widespread culture of sexual harassment and assault within the agency, and retaliation against those who reported it.
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