Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren is pushing back against a recent news story that alleged a toxic work environment in his office.
A recent Navajo Times article described women staffers who’d experienced sexual assault and harassment. It also alleged excessive travel and spending on the part of the president and his staff.
In a statement, Nygren disputed the story.
“It is unfortunate that the reporter failed to include our responses to the allegations and provided the Navajo people a one-sided story based on opinion rather than fact … The opinions of disgruntled former staff members and anonymous sources fail to reflect the reality of my office,” Nygren wrote.
He also said a sexual assault allegation was reported to his office seven months ago and is now being investigated by the Navajo Police Department and the Department of Criminal Investigations. According to Nygren, all his expenses were necessary, legal and ethical.
The Navajo Times spoke with several former appointees from the administration, and the story described high levels of turnover and alleged an environment of “toxic masculinity” in the president’s office since he was sworn in in January.