A Forest Service firefighter from California’s Eldorado National Forest blew another whistle Thursday on sexual harassment and gender bias inside federal public lands agencies.
Reinforcing claims previously made by many others over many years, Fire Prevention Technician Denice Rice told a House panel of repeated problems facing women, who remain greatly outnumbered by men in the Forest Service.
“Women who report sexual harassment are retaliated against,” Rice advised the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. “It is your word against his, and you know the moment you open your mouth to speak up you are committing career suicide.”