Marine Corps general defends public remarks about 'fake news' and sex life jokes, report says

WASHINGTON – The Marine general who branded stories about sexual harassment at his command as "fake news" and joked at a town hall about his sex life defended his remarks as appropriate, according to a Marine Corps internal investigation obtained by USA TODAY.

In a town hall meeting in April, Brig. Gen. Kurt Stein disparaged articles in USA TODAY that had detailed complaints about the handling of sexual harassment complaints and the toxic work environment found at the Marine and Family Programs Division. His joke about the Navy chaplain who was caught on video having sex outside a pub in New Orleans was "getting more action" than him was an attempt at "self-deprecating humor," he told investigators.

That attempt fell flat. Of the 117 people who attended his talk, "70 perceived some portion of Brigadier General Stein's remarks as offensive, inappropriate, unprofessional or adverse to the morale of the Marine and Family Programs personnel," Brig. Gen. William Bowers, the investigating officer, wrote in his report.

The investigation includes Stein's attempt to explain his remarks and the joke, and Bower's conclusion that Stein's comments had undermined "internal and external confidence in his ability to lead an organization responsible for sexual harassment prevention and response, and cast doubt on the Marine Corps' commitment to improve its culture."

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