The following press statement is in response to inaccurate reporting regarding the Department of the Interior's HR policies and the protections that are in place for Interior employees:

“The Department of the Interior stands at the forefront in defending the rights of all employees and has a zero tolerance policy for discrimination or harassment of any kind.

The Department's ethics guidelines follow the general principles of current federal regulations and Executive Order 12674, which states that 'Employees shall adhere to all laws and regulations that provide equal opportunity for all Americans regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or handicap.'

Under the leadership of Secretary Bernhardt, the Department issued a policy extending protections from harassing conduct and expressly prohibiting unwelcome conduct based upon LGBT status. This policy did not exist under the Obama Administration or any other previous Administration.

The Department has been crystal clear on unacceptable behavior, processes, reporting standards, and anti-retaliation policies against whistleblowers, and requires mandatory anti-discrimination training for all supervisors in order to stop misconduct at the earliest signs."