Man Accused of Antarctica Assault Sent to Protect Graduate Students Despite Active Warrant

National Science Foundation under fire for decision to send accused assaulter as bodyguard for graduate students soon after attack; victims allege lack of communication from authorities regarding ongoing investigation, breeding fear and discomfort.

Stephen Tyler Bieneman, an employee at a U.S. research station in Antarctica, is accused of physically assaulting a woman at the station before being sent to a remote icefield to protect a professor and three young graduate students.
Despite a warrant for his arrest being issued, Bieneman remained at the icefield for a week. He has subsequently pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor assault, with his case due to go to trial.
An investigation by the Associated Press revealed a pattern of women at the McMurdo Station who reportedly had their claims of assault or harassment minimized by their employers, potentially putting them and others at risk.
Following the assault, the victim reportedly experienced a lack of sleep, loss of appetite, anxiety, and depression, leading her to leave her job at the station.
The case has brought the decision-making process of the U.S. Antarctic Program under scrutiny, with the National Science Foundation declining to comment on why Bieneman was assigned to a critical safety role while under investigation.