WASHINGTON POST The superintendent of Gettysburg National Military Park, John A. Latschar, said yesterday that he was being reassigned to an unspecified desk job in the National Parks Service after public disclosure that he viewed more than 3,400 "sexually explicit" images on his federal computer over two years.
The misconduct, which Latschar acknowledged in a sworn statement, was found during a yearlong investigation by the Interior Department's inspector general and was documented in an internal Aug. 7 report obtained by the Washington Post.

Latschar's reassignment comes after a Post report Monday about the results of the investigator's forensic analysis of his computer hard drive, which showed "significant inappropriate user activity" and listed the "most sexually explicit" images at 3,456.

These findings were omitted from a 24-page public report of the inspector general's investigation into Latschar released Sept. 17. The investigation of the longtime Parks Service employee began more than a year ago and was triggered by 17 allegations of misconduct and criminal activity. The report found no criminal actions or conflicts of interest.

Mary Kendall, acting inspector general for Interior, has declined to comment on why the computer investigation was not mentioned in the report.

Latschar told the York Daily Record in Pennsylvania that he was being reassigned because of the disclosure of his Internet activity. He added that "there's no excuse" for the behavior but that he was "going through some rough personal and professional times" during the two years he searched for the images. The activity occurred from August 2004 to September 2006.

Latschar has declined repeated Post interview requests. Latschar said that he expected to begin his new assignment next week.

Park Service spokesman David Barna said he could neither confirm nor deny Latschar's job reassignment.

Latschar started as superintendent at Gettysburg nearly 15 years ago and became a powerful and polarizing figure. His most controversial action came nearly a decade ago when he successfully pushed to commercially develop the 5,900-acre park, prompting Civil War preservationists to fight his efforts.

At the heart of the development were a new visitors center and museum that Latschar said would be fully financed by a private foundation that he helped create.

By the time the museum opened in the spring, costs had jumped from $39.3 million to $135 million, requiring $35 million in public funds.  

--Last edited by Bill on 2009-10-23 10:35:08 --

Porn at work, smart move buddy.

A couple of weeks ago I did a Civil War related program at the headquarters of the local national park here on the Gulf Coast.  After cycling through a sho nuff lengthy list of regulations mostly of the “thou shall not” variety you would assume a long time park employee would have known better than to do a stunt like that.  Maybe it is case of cyber suicide.  

OK, who's gonna' sit in his old chair at his old desk? Who gets the computer? Got a blacklight? Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww....... You know the NPS can't afford to throw that thing away. There's no money for a new one.

Quote :

GrumpyDave wrote : OK, who's gonna' sit in his old chair at his old desk? Who gets the computer? Got a blacklight? Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww....... You know the NPS can't afford to throw that thing away. There's no money for a new one.

Grumpy,

Give the guy a break. Latschar had a stressful job!  

I'd like to know if his reassignment is as head of National Park Service IT?

How about tasked with providing staff development for NPS personnel on stress relief.

Wow, is right.

Get rid of that keyboard and chair.

Eric G.

We've had similar situations in State government here in Alabama.
The folks caught looking at porn on their office PCs were reassigned.....home. As in axed, terminated, let go, fired. Pretty stupid to be doing such. Save it for your home PC.

Andy Redd