Man Acquitted of Assaulting Woman at Antarctic Research Station Sent to Remote Icefield with Students

A man has been found not guilty of assaulting a woman at a U.S. research station in Antarctica. Stephen Tyler Bieneman was on trial for misdemeanor assault, but the jury returned a verdict of not guilty after 1.5 hours of deliberation. Bieneman denied hurting the woman and testified that she had grabbed his arms and fell onto her back while holding on to him. The case raises questions about decision-making in the U.S. Antarctic Program, which is currently under scrutiny, and comes after an Associated Press investigation revealed a pattern of women's claims of sexual harassment or assault being minimized by their employers at McMurdo Station.