Bouchard Holds Press Conference Over Sexual Assault Case
At a press conference on Thursday, Wyoming state Senator Anthony Bouchard discussed the importance of highlighting the case of former Wyoming National Guard Major Rachel Bennett.
In 2012, Bennett had filed a complaint as a dual-status employee against the Wyoming National Guard for being fired discriminating against her because she was a new mother, and was fired for what she claimed was reporting harassment and a hostile work environment.
The Wyoming National Guard has since said that it was not wrong to fire Bennett, and, in spite of a ruling by a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) judge that Bennett is owned at least $600,000 in lost wages and legal fees, has not paid out the $600,000.
Bouchard at his conference, where Bennett and her lawyer Stephen Goldenzweig where both present, aimed to bring attention to her mistreatment and get someone to take action.
Watch the press conference here:
Goldenzweig said the first step towards getting the National Guard to comply with the EEOC's judgement is to have the Office of Federal Operations Appeals (OFOA) enforce the EEOC's order.
They do that by getting the OFAO, through public pressure, to get the head of the Wyoming National Guard to testify before the EEOC on why they were not able to provide relief to Bennett.
The Wyoming National Guard could not be reached for comment for this piece.