Wisconsin leaders demand National Guard sex assault review
MADISON, Wis. — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin demanded Thursday that federal military officials review Wisconsin National Guard protocols for reporting and investigating sexual assault after Guard members alleged harassment, assault and retaliation for reporting incidents.
The U.S. Air Force is already investigating allegations of sexual assault and harassment within a Wisconsin Air National Guard security unit dating back to 2002 at Baldwin’s request .
Evers and Baldwin wrote to Gen. Joseph Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau in Washington, D.C. They asked the Guard’s Office of Complex Investigations to review the Wisconsin Guard’s sexual assault and harassment reporting procedures, investigative process and accountability measures. Baldwin asked for a “top to bottom look” at all open and closed sexual assault and harassment investigations.
They asked the office to perform on-site interviews at all major Wisconsin National Guard locations; review all sexual assault, harassment and retaliation allegations; review all investigations led by unit commanders; and review the Wisconsin Guard’s adherence to the military’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program.