Probe Criticizes Management Style of Former Head of Yosemite

The former superintendent of Yosemite National Park, accused of creating a hostile work environment and discriminating against female employees, has been faulted by federal investigators for his management style and behavior.

The report, released Monday by the Interior Department's inspector general, focused on Don Neubacher, who was Yosemite's top official for nearly seven years and a part of the National Park Service for 37 years.

It included interviews with 71 park staff members, some of whom said they witnessed Neubacher belittling staff and their abilities. According to their statements, Neubacher called employees “stupid,” “lazy” and “bozo,” and directed most of his comments at women.

The 24-page report, however, found no evidence that Neubacher's decisions were motivated by favoritism or bias. Overall, he got mixed reviews.

"Of the 71 employees we interviewed regarding the allegations against the official, 42 spoke highly of him as a manager," the report said. "The remaining either had no opinion, vacillated in their opinion, or said that he sometimes communicated poorly; that he could be dismissive, abrupt, or overly critical; and that he would often publicly criticize and undermine employees after he lost confidence in them."

Neubacher, who managed Point Reyes National Seashore for 15 years before taking the Yosemite job, denied the allegations and claimed he had not intentionally insulted or belittled anyone. "I don't yell. I don't scream," he said. But he announced his retirement in September 2016, after the accusations of harassment were made public during a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

The report also details other allegations of inappropriate behavior, including one case in which he gave a female employee preferential treatment. Neubacher allegedly promoted the woman by two grade levels in three years, gave her a Fitbit for her birthday, and when she left Yosemite for another job, he gave her a going-away gift that cost him $700.

“It’s appalling that this level of sexual harassment and bullying has persisted in this workplace for so many years. And that so many individuals were unable to complain," said Deborah Rhode, a Stanford Law professor and legal ethics scholar. She added that the allegations indicate there was a "corrosive culture" under Neubacher's leadership.

Rhode thinks the publicity could encourage other parks to re-examine their workplace culture at a time when several other national parks are facing similar allegations of workplace abuse, including at Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon.

“With crisis comes opportunity. And cultures that have long tolerated abusive practices, when they are publicly exposed, suddenly have gotten the message,” Rhode said. “What’s really important to focus on here is how do you prevent this kind of toxic work environment from persisting for so long."

Reporting for this post comes from the Associated Press and KQED's Mariana Urban and Bert Johnson.