An investigation into allegations of bias and a hostile work environment at Yosemite National Park under former superintendent Don Neubacher—who also long served as chief of the Point Reyes National Seashore—found “no evidence” that his decisions were bias-driven but that his management style “may have contributed to what some Yosemite employees perceived as inappropriate behavior.” The investigation, by the Office of the Inspector General of the Interior Department, was prompted by accusations that became public in 2016 and led to Mr. Neubacher’s retirement late last year. The probe looked into three main issues: whether the superintendent engaged in nepotism, had a bias against women, and fostered a hostile work environment. Overall, the report says, 42 of 71 employees whom investigators interviewed praised Mr. Neubacher. The remainder “either had no opinion, vacillated in their opinion, or said that he sometimes communicated poorly; that he could be dismissive, abrupt, or overly critical; and that he would often publicly criticize and undermine employees after he lost confidence in them.” Allegations of nepotism and gender bias included, among other complaints, a claim that a lower-ranked employee was nominated to a leadership academy because Mr. Neubacher did not like a better-qualified candidate; a claim by an employee who believed she was denied promotion because she was a woman; and a claim that a lower-ranking male employee was chosen over a higher-ranking woman to lead the response to a wildfire in 2013. Some women also felt that Mr. Neubacher was biased against female employees because he would consult their subordinates on issues, though others said he did the same to men. Mr. Neubacher defended his decisions; for instance, he said the high-ranking female fire employee was working elsewhere when the fire began to threaten Yosemite, and an employee passed over for promotion didn’t have the right experience for the job that involved handling a $2 billion contract. He also said that consulting subordinates was part of his leadership style. “I would say that’s a good technique,” he told the investigators, adding that no one had told him at the time that they found this inappropriate. As for the claims of a hostile work environment, one employee said Mr. Neubacher called her ideas “stupid” and “dopey” and would make staff at Yosemite look like “bozos.” Some people said he would also criticize employees behind their backs, or turn his back or act dismissively during conversations. Mr. Neubacher admitted to investigators that he may have called ideas stupid, but said he did not call anyone personally stupid. He also denied attacking anyone personally behind their back, though he may have expressed some criticism if, for instance, projects were behind schedule.