UTEP backtracks after naming former Border Patrol agent facing harassment allegations 'research fellow'

Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement issued by UTEP. This version of the story was printed in the El Paso Times.

A high-ranking U.S. Border Patrol official who resigned amid allegations that he victimized women in the force, including subordinates, has been removed from a University of Texas at El Paso website that listed him as a research fellow.

Tony Barker's profile was removed from UTEP's Center for Law and Human Behavior website on Monday. A university spokesman said Barker was not a UTEP employee but declined to answer additional questions about the nature and tenure of Barker's association with the university.

Barker was the No. 3 in the U.S. Border Patrol hierarchy in Washington, D.C., before his resignation in October.

Homeland Security sources say U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Professional Responsibility is conducting an investigation into the allegations against him by multiple women, which were first reported publicly by MSNBC.

CBP spokesman Peter Carr said federal privacy laws prevent the agency from discussing individual cases.

"We do not tolerate misconduct within our ranks," Carr said in an emailed statement. "When we discover any alleged or potential misconduct, we immediately refer it for investigation and cooperate fully with any criminal or administrative investigations."

Attempts to reach Barker by phone Monday were unsuccessful.

In a statement to MSNBC in January, Barker said, "The allegations that I pressured any woman for sexual favors or victimized them are entirely and unequivocally false. I am proud of my 21 years of service with the U.S. Border Patrol. I am now taking this time to focus on my family and seek other opportunities.”

Barker, who served as acting chief of Border Patrol's law enforcement operations directorate, was expected to take Gloria Chavez's place as Chief Patrol Agent of the El Paso Sector before he resigned after two decades with the agency.

UTEP listed Barker as a "Homeland Security Enterprise Policy Expert" on the website for its Center for Law and Human Behavior in early January. He was described as a "a subject matter expert in developing and innovating complex operational strategies" to address migration flows at the border.

'Not aware of any allegations'

Late Monday, Lucas Roebuck, UTEP vice president for marketing and communications, emailed a statement attributed to Victor Manjarrez, also a former Border Patrol agent and director of the Center for Law and Human Behavior:

"In early January, I listed Tony Barker as a research fellow on the Center for Law and Human Behavior website. My actions were not approved by UTEP. While he was listed on the website, Dr. Barker has never been an employee at UTEP. I am working with the UTEP administration to review the CLHB research fellowship program procedures to ensure University policies are followed in the future." Manjarrez, who joined UTEP in 2013 and became center director in 2019, added: "I was not aware of any allegations against Dr. Barker until this weekend."

The MSNBC story published on Jan. 21, followed by a story in the New York Times, another by The Associated Press, and others. A Google search of "Tony Barker" and "Border Patrol" over the weekend turned up numerous news articles about the allegations and the internal investigation.

"Whether Barker reached out to Manjarrez, or Manjarrez reached out to him, these things are often coordinated in the Border Patrol family network," said Jenn Budd, a former senior patrol agent who is a critic of the Border Patrol's male-dominant hierarchy.

On the center's website, another former Border Patrol agent is listed as a "research fellow," Jeffrey Self. The center lists an eight-member steering committee that includes professors from UTEP departments of political science, criminal justice, psychology and sociology.

Roebuck didn't respond Tuesday to questions from the El Paso Times regarding the center's procedures for selecting research fellows; what compensation and benefits they may receive; or whether Manjarrez has the authority to unilaterally name research fellows or whether his actions violated UTEP policy.

Male-dominated agency

In its Jan. 21 report, MSNBC reported that Barker threatened to retaliate against a woman — a subordinate of Barker — after she attempted to end a consensual relationship with him. Barker allegedly threatened to tell others that she had illegally issued contracts if she did not perform sexual favors, according to the report.

Other women have made similar allegations, according to the report.

Border Patrol has long been dominated by men. Women make up just 5% of more than 19,000 uniformed agents, according to CBP, and the agency has struggled for years to diversify its ranks.

In a 2021 report to Congress, CBP said it "constantly is exploring ways to attract the best female applicants."

Carr said CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility runs an anti-harassment program and employees are held accountable to a uniform standard of conduct, regardless of rank.

He said that if the subject of an investigation leaves CBP, OPR continues and completes the investigation and its findings become an agency record retained according to National Archives' policies. Investigative records are accessible to prospective employers, Carr said.

Lauren Villagran can be reached at lvillagran@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @laurenvillagran.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP drops former Border Patrol agent facing harassment allegations from 'research fellow' profile