Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said a House investigation of the VA Mountain Home health care facility in Tennessee has confirmed at least two managers leveraged sexual favors from subordinates for job promotions.  (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)

WASHINGTON — The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee has investigated multiple whistleblower accounts of rampant sexual assault, misconduct and consensual sexual activities that took place inside the VA Mountain Home health care facility in Tennessee.

Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., the committee chairman, said the six-month investigation has confirmed at least two managers leveraged sexual favors from subordinates at the Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility in exchange for job promotions.

Bost said the committee sent an oversight team to the Tennessee hospital to assess the situation and informed VA Secretary Denis McDonough of the findings. The VA has launched its own investigation.

The women claimed hospital supervisors knew about the sexual misconduct but failed for months to act, according to the investigation by the House VA Committee’s subpanel on oversight and investigations.

“If these allegations are verified, without question, these men and women have no business serving veterans in East Tennessee, and this should have never happened,” Bost said about hospital leaders.

The VA has provided the House committee with certain documents related to the department’s investigation into the Mountain Home facility. The information revealed sexual relationships, and misconduct did occur on VA property in Tennessee, Bost said.

“The sexual misconduct, harassment and inappropriate interpersonal relationships that were allowed to persist at the Mountain Home VA facility are disturbing and disgusting,” he said.

The House VA subpanel last week released findings and supporting documents of its investigation.

In one incident, whistleblowers reported a male worker had consensual sexual relations with numerous female employees inside a locked training room during working hours at the VA property, according to House VA Committee documents.

The male employee initiated sexual encounters on many occasions inside the training room with women on staff after offering to act as their personal trainer, according to the documents. He had “sexually suggestive conversations with 30-40 women” and then “engaged in sexual acts on VA property,” according to the findings. The whistleblowers said he had the lock changed on the training room door, and he was the only employee with the key.

An internal investigation was launched after one of the women came forward with a complaint, prompting interviews and corroboration from other employees, according to the House VA Committee documents. Some of the employees said facility leaders knew about the misconduct for at least a year before taking action.

The male employee no longer works at the facility, according to the House investigation.

Whistleblowers provided details about three cases involving sexual misconduct, sexual harassment and consensual sexual activities occurring during several months at the facility, according to the House investigation’s findings. The dates when the incidents occurred and for how long they took place have not been disclosed.

None of the male staffers who faced complaints of sexual misconduct, harassment and inappropriate sexual behavior still work at the facility, according to Terrence Hayes, the VA press secretary. He said the VA cannot discuss the cases while it has an open investigation.

“We continue to fully cooperate with all proper authorities in this matter,” Hayes said.

But Bost accused the VA of delays in turning over critical documents, including performance reviews, that might show when senior leaders at the hospital first learned about each case and whether they allowed the problems to persist without taking disciplinary action.

Shereef Elnahal, undersecretary for health at the VA, initially shared complaints from employees in July with the House VA committee, which launched its investigation and conducted an on-site visit to collect information and interview staff.

In one of the cases, a female worker at the hospital filed an Equal Employment Opportunity complaint after her supervisor promised to promote her if she would have a romantic relationship with him. The woman at first agreed to date him, but she later ended the relationship and filed a “no contact” complaint against the manager, which he violated repeatedly, according to House documents.

An internal review by the VA facility substantiated the woman’s complaint. The manager resigned after leaders at the facility moved to terminate him, according to the findings.

But the woman said facility leaders were aware of his misconduct for months and delayed taking disciplinary action against him until she filed the EEO complaint.

In a similar but separate case, a facility manager promised a female employee several promotions in return for sexual favors at his office.

Though the hospital’s senior leadership learned of the problem, the manager was not disciplined, according to House documents. The woman later reported he threatened her job and physically assaulted her when she did not comply. Several supervisors learned about his conduct but failed to act, according to the female employee.

The manager resigned seven months later, after the VA Office of Inspector General launched an investigation, according to House committee documents.

Bost said he is concerned senior leaders at the VA Mountain Home facility were aware of a pervasive environment of sexual misconduct and allowed it to persist.

He said there are several other employees who engaged in sexual activities at the workplace who continue in their jobs without consequences.

“The committee continues to wait for documents to reveal whether senior leaders in Mountain Home, and those who participated in sexual activity at work, will be appropriately disciplined,” Bost said.