Gov. Evers Announces Ombudsman for the Wisconsin National Guard

MADISON – Gov. Tony Evers today announced that Lieutenant Colonel Brian Bischoff will serve as ombudsman for the Wisconsin National Guard.

“The ombudsman will play a critical role in restoring trust in the Wisconsin National Guard’s handling of sexual assault and harassment allegations,” said Gov. Evers. “Everyone serving in the Wisconsin National Guard deserves to know that their concerns about sexual assault and harassment will be carefully, fairly, and thoroughly reviewed.

Lt. Col. Bischoff is a member of the Georgia National Guard and veteran of the Iraq war. He has more than 17 years of experience as an attorney for the Army, including serving as one of the federal National Guard Bureau’s first Special Victims’ Counsel. In this role, he advocated for survivors of sexual assault before military agencies, boards, and courts-martial.

On December 9, 2019, Gov. Evers issued Executive Order #62, which ordered top-to-bottom changes in the Wisconsin National Guard in response to a federal review which detailed system failures by the Wisconsin National Guard in its handling of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and retaliation allegations. The federal review was conducted by the federal National Guard Bureau Office of Complex Investigations at the request of Gov. Evers and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin.

Under Executive Order #62, the Office of Ombudsman is tasked with assisting survivors and complainants in the review of allegations of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and retaliation within the Wisconsin National Guard. The ombudsman is required to provide quarterly reports to Gov. Evers on such matters. The Wisconsin National Guard is required to fully accommodate the ombudsman, including providing full access to personnel and records deemed necessary by the ombudsman, in accordance with law and policy.

Office of the Governor

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.