Grand Canyon officials face discipline after report on abuse

(AP) — The top two officials at Grand Canyon National Park are among those facing disciplinary action following a federal report that found they violated policies on reporting and investigating allegations of sexual harassment in the park's river district.

The report focused on allegations lodged against four male NPS employees who pressured female co-workers for sex, touched them inappropriately, made lewd comments and retaliated when they were rejected.

Other reforms outlined by Masica include third-party reviews of a string of past disciplinary actions to ensure consistency and of a 2013 report by the Equal Employment Opportunity office that looked into similar sexual harassment complaints.

Masica vowed to develop comprehensive training programs, to apologize personally to those who filed the 2014 complaint and to separate the patrol functions of the river district from the support services for rafting trips.

Grand Canyon National Park manages 280 miles of the Colorado River, providing emergency and medical services as well as guiding researchers, politicians and students on a dozen river trips per year.

"While dismayed at the work environment described in the report, I am committed to working to change the situation and keep similar situations from happening again," she wrote in response to the report.