National Park Service Chief P. Daniel Smith apologized to his staff on Friday after the Inspector General investigated an allegation that Smith made a crude gesture to mime urinating on the wall of a public hallway in the Interior Department headquarters, according to a Monday Washington Post report.
The IG began the probe in March after Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke sent them an anonymous complaint about the incident that allegedly occurred while Smith was telling a story. In the alleged incident, Smith “grabbed his crotch and his penis and acted out as though he was urinating on the wall.” The IG’s office has reportedly completed the report, but will not release it publicly until late June.
In his apology, Smith took pains to classify his behavior as crude, but not sexual harassment.
“I recognize that the story was inappropriate for the workplace, even though it does not rise to the level of harassment,” Smith said. “I am very sorry for my mistake in telling this story and any discomfort it clearly caused.”
ZINKE is complaining about someone’s BEHAVIOR??? That’s rich.
Was he telling a story about what this fuckopolypse of an administration is doing to our national parks? Because then it’s totally accurate.
So only the best people.
I have occasionally noticed, despite my strenuous efforts to avoid it, that in certain areas of the business world and other occupational situations there’s a small but distinct subculture of out-of-control crudity. You have status and get approval based on how extremely crude you can be. That’s one thing Trump brought with him. Nice job, GOP. Classy.
Still, thinking about it, even miming urination is better than those goddamn street mimes who accost you and start up with the climbing through a window and so forth. I’d like to see that classified as a form of assault.
It would have been more appropriate for him to mimic urination in front of the White House or the Russian embassy.