[A] proposal to create a new high-level position in the Vermont National Guard aims to root out “soft” harassment of women that is hurting recruitment and retention, according to the lead sponsor of the bill.
Rep. Jean O’Sullivan, D-Burlington, said the culture in the military and the Vermont National Guard was male-dominated and generally “toxic” for women.
One goal of the proposed new position, chief diversity officer, would be to provide an avenue to report improper comments and behavior that don’t rise to the level of sexual harassment or assault, but are enough to cause women to not extend their service in the Guard for as long as men, O’Sullivan said.
In 2013, O’Sullivan led an effort to have the Guard annually report to the Legislature the number of sexual assaults reported each year. She and others, including Rep. Diana Gonzalez, P-Winooski, have said the reports lack key information and need to be expanded.
A second report to the Legislature looks at the gender gap in the Guard. In this year’s report, the Guard acknowledges under-representation of women is a problem. Figures show women make up about 15 percent of the force, and represent even lower percentages in leadership positions. The report by Doris Sumner, the Vermont National Guard’s State Equal Employment Manager, asked to “consider the relationship between sex based offenses and the representation of women in key leader positions. Remember sexism is not just sexual in nature, it is a lack of respect for someone based on their gender identity.”
In December, a seven-part series by VTDigger reported misconduct, including sexual assault and harassment of women in the Guard. In the wake of the series, “The Flying Fraternity,” all four candidates who ran for adjutant general, the state’s top military post, this year promised reforms to reduce sexism in the Guard.
The winning candidate, Col. Greg Knight, acknowledged mistreatment of women had occurred and had hurt efforts to recruit and retain women in the Guard. He promised to meet with every woman in the Guard and possibly add a position with investigatory powers.
Knight said there about 400 vacancies in the 3,600-member Guard, which is made up of an Army and Air Guard side.
The officer position created by O’Sullivan’s bill, H. 401, would be appointed by the governor, and would require a report annually to the Legislature on Guard efforts to recruit and retain women, and on promotions of women to leadership positions.
Part of the role of that office, O’Sullivan said, would be to take complaints that don’t rise to the level to trigger a formal investigation but would not be tolerated in a private workplace.
“It’s the soft stuff,” she said after testifying to a House committee Friday morning. “You’re out there team building, building esprit de corps, and one of these comments happen, and it happens all the time, and wham, you’re no longer part of the team,” O’Sullivan said. Some of the comments would not be tolerated in a private company but are considered acceptable and tolerated in the military, she said.
O’Sullivan serves as the State Chair for Vermont Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. She led the effort in 2013 to have the Guard provide annual numbers to the Legislature on sexual assault and harassment. That came during the last contested race for adjutant general, when Retired Brig. Gen. Jonathan Farnham withdrew after claims Guard leadership had not taken sexual assault allegations seriously enough. Legislators elected Cray, who served for six years before announcing he would not run this year.
Last session, O’Sullivan convinced Guard leadership to include information in their annual reports to the Legislature on the recruitment, retention and promotion of women, information she first sought in 2013. In the first report this year, another challenge cited was the isolation “onlys” feel when they are the only female in a department, a problem the report said made women more likely to leave.
The goal is for women in the Guard to “feel safe, honored” O’Sullivan said, “and they will be able to excel to the best of their ability.”
Rep. Tom Stevens, D-Waterbury, the chair of the House General, Housing and Military Affairs, welcomed the bill. His committee is also considering two bills to change the election process of the adjutant general to include a nominating board similar to judicial candidates. One bill would give the governor the authority to make the selection, as is done in every state except Vermont. The other bill would retain the selection power with the Legislature.
“I think highly of” the bill, Stevens said. “It puts into statute a gender equity report that will keep us informed about the status of diversity in the Guard. A diversity officer is a great idea, if we can fashion it in a way that makes a difference and is given credence by both Guard and state leadership.”
Capt. Mikel R. Arcovitch, the Guard’s Public Affairs Officer, would not comment on the bill because “it’s a political matter.”
However, he said, “I can tell you that we support the promotion and progression of the most qualified Soldiers and Airmen. Promotions are an in-depth process with a variety of requirements depending on rank and position.”
