A U.S. Army investigation into the murder of Spc. Vanessa Guillén last year found that she was sexually harassed by a supervisor on two occasions, but leadership at Fort Hood ignored her reports of the harassment and failed to take appropriate action.
The incidents of sexual harassment were “not related to her murder” and the fellow soldier accused of murdering her, Spc. Aaron Robinson, did not harass her, though he did harass another female soldier, according to the investigation.
The report, conducted by commanding general of Army Futures Command John Murray, paints a troubling picture of the culture surrounding sexual harassment at Fort Hood.
“SPC Guillén was sexually harassed by a supervisor. This supervisor created an intimidating, hostile environment. The unit leadership was informed of the harassment as well as the supervisor’s counterproductive leadership, and failed to take appropriate action,” the report found.
A U.S. Army investigation into the murder of Spc. Vanessa Guillén found that she was sexually harassed by a supervisor on two occasions, but leadership at Fort Hood failed to take appropriate action. (Fort Hood Press Center)
On one occasion in the late summer of 2019, one of Guillén’s supervisors “made an inappropriate sexual comment in Spanish which SPC Guillén translated as a solicitation for her to participate in a ‘threesome.'”
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“During a field training exercise, this same supervisor encountered SPC Guillén while she performed personal hygiene in the wood line and SPC Guillén reported that this made her uncomfortable,” the report reads.
In addition, this supervisor “specifically targeted her, called her out in front of her peers, and consistently made an example out of her.”
Despite the continuous harassment, leadership at Fort Hood failed to address the issues.
“They knew of the aggressive and counterproductive leadership but took no action,” the report reads. “Senior non-commissioned officers were aware of the concerns with this supervisor and failed to advise their leadership before this individual was moved from one squadron to another.”
Dawn Gomez holds her 3-year-old granddaughter, Saryia Greer, who waves at Vanessa Guillen’s mural painted by Alejandro “Donkeeboy” Roman Jr. on the side of Taqueria Del Sol, Thursday, July 2, 2020, in Houston. (Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Authorities suspect that Spc. Aaron Robinson bludgeoned Guillen to death with a hammer at Fort Hood in April 2020, then dismembered and disposed of her body. When police tried to arrest him on June 30, he killed himself.
The investigation “found no credible evidence to conclude SPC Robinson sexually harassed SPC Guillén or that they had any relationship outside of their work setting,” but SPC Robinson did sexually harass another female SPC at Fort Hood from April to September 2019.
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As a result of the investigation, five current or former leaders from the 3rd Cavalry Regiment have been fired. Additionally, eight officers and non-commissioned officers will receive General Officer Memorandums of Reprimand.
The criminal investigation into Guillén’s death is being led by the FBI, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, and other law enforcement agencies.