FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

11 DEC 2020

SWAN Responds to VA IG report on sexual assault allegations

Internal investigation exposes obstinate senior VA officials and lack of professionalism in handling of claim

Washington D.C.: Yesterday, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (OIG) released the report “Senior VA Officials’ Response to a Veteran’s Sexual Assault Allegations,” examining the VA’s response to a sexual assault investigation conducted in January 2020. Following the investigation’s closure, the OIG received tenable information that senior VA officials attempted to undermine the credibility of the veteran who submitted the sexual assault claim in January 2020. As a result of these findings, the OIG opened an additional investigation in February through August 2020 to examine whether Secretary Wilke or other VA officials “improperly sought information about the individual’s past and mischaracterized the results of [the] investigation to discredit [the veteran].” Within the report’s five findings, the OIG report concludes that senior VA officials did inappropriately question the veteran’s credibility, and Secretary Wilke intentionally attempted to shift attention to the credibility and background of the veteran as opposed to the issue of the claim itself.

SWAN’s Director of Government Relations Lory Manning elaborates, “shocking is the term for the unprofessional, defensive responses of senior officials leading the Department of Veterans Affairs in response to a complaint of sexual assault and harassment by a veteran seeking health care at her local treatment facility. Senior leaders such as those mentioned in the recent IG investigation cannot be relied upon to provide safe, welcoming medical care to our women veterans because through their contentious reactions; they are privileging the continuance of both sexual assault and sexual harassment at the very veterans’ facilities from which they should be erasing these scourges.”

The OIG report concludes the report with a strong admonishment of the uncooperative behavior and lack of responsiveness of senior VA officials to make appropriate administrative actions following the poorly handled sexual assault claim:

“Nonetheless, conduct and inaction by VA leaders of the sort described in this report can impair the effectiveness and integrity of VA programs and operations. Effectiveness is undermined when veterans and the public do not perceive the VA as being committed to ensuring a safe and welcoming environment. Using denigrating remarks and questioning the credibility of a veteran who reported being sexually assaulted and then failing to explore the facts fully is also contrary to the ongoing missions of improving VA and serving the veteran community with respect. VA personnel at every level are encouraged to commit to the highest standards of professionalism and responsiveness when informed of allegations of sexual harassment or assault and to take all appropriate steps to dismantle inhospitable conditions in all VA medical facilities.”

SWAN has previously released official statements condemning Secretary Wilke’s response to both this specific sexual assault and the VA’s broad discriminatory attitude toward women veterans. 

About the Service Women’s Action Network
SWAN is a national, non-partisan organization and member-driven community network advocating for the individual and collective needs of service women and women veterans. To date, SWAN has played a major role in opening all military jobs to service women, holding sex offenders accountable in the military justice system, eliminating barriers to disability claims for those who have experienced military sexual trauma, and expanding access to a broad range of reproductive healthcare services for military women.