Escobar champions bill for speedy action in service members' harassment claims

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, hopes a new bill she introduced to speed processing of discrimination and harassment claims filed by service members will help protect the men and women in the U.S. military.

Along with U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-California, Escobar on Tuesday introduced H.R. 9163, the Advancing Justice for our Servicemembers Act, which sets a 180-day time limit for processing complaints of discrimination or harassment and allows service members to seek appeal or review by a U.S. court.

The U.S. Department of Defense currently has no timeline for processing such complaints, which often leads to long waits for justice and "limits the effectiveness" of policies aimed at protecting service members, a news release from Escobar's office states.

“Our men and women in the military shouldn’t have to wait for justice after reporting sexual assault, harassment, or prohibited discrimination,” Escobar said in the release. “This bill is for all the victims of harassment or discrimination who feel unheard or unseen."

'There is so much at stake': US Rep. Veronica Escobar on state of Congress

In stressing the importance of her legislation, Escobar invoked the name of Vanessa Guillen, a soldier at Fort Hood who was bludgeoned to death, dismembered and buried near the Leon River in April 2020 by a fellow service member.

Multiple harassment complaints previously were filed against the soldier, Aaron David Robinson, but had been dismissed. He committed suicide before he could be arrested in her murder.

Robinson reportedly killed Guillen because she saw a photo of his girlfriend, who was still married to another soldier, on his cellphone and he feared getting in trouble for violating the Army's fraternization rules.

"Each of these cases should be treated with the urgency they deserve," Escobar said in the release. "Expediting them and providing additional avenues to seek justice should help remedy the grievances I’ve heard from the brave men and women who have come forward. By ensuring complaints are heard and addressed in a timely manner, we create an environment where 20-year-old U.S. Army soldier Vanessa Guillen, who was murdered by a harasser she had complained about, would still be with us today."

And the problem is growing, Speier said in the news release, with incidents of sexual assault up 35% across the military for women and more than 50% for men, and sexual harassment cases up by 20%.

"And trust and faith in the military to eliminate this insidious scourge and bring survivors justice is down,” Speier said. “Ensuring that complaints from service members of harassment or discrimination are completed within 180 days, and allowing service members to seek review or appeal in a U.S. court of law if they choose to do so after the 180 (day) period is exhausted, is a critical component of addressing this crisis and rebuilding faith and trust in the brave women and men who serve our country."

The bill has the backing of several prominent military groups, including Protect Our Defenders, a Virginia-based nonprofit with the mission of "ending sexual violence, victim retaliation, misogyny, sexual prejudice, and racism in the military and combating a culture that has allowed it to persist," according to the group's website.

“The American military continues to be plagued by the scourge of pervasive sexual harassment that rips at the fabric of the force," Protect Our Defenders President Don Christensen said in the release. "Currently, survivors who report sexual harassment endure extraordinarily long delays awaiting final resolution of their allegations. Delayed resolutions devastate service members seeking justice and discourage others from coming forward, which negatively impacts retention and force readiness.”

“Representative Escobar's legislation establishing a firm 180 day time limit for processing sexual harassment complaints will ensure the military provides service members with timely investigations and responses to their complaints," he continued. "Protect Our Defenders is proud to endorse this legislation.”

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Escobar champions bill for speedy action in military harassment claims