The incident occurred late on November 24 or early November 25 last year when the woman was sitting in a dormitory lounge at McMurdo Station, waiting for her laundry. Stephen Tyler Bieneman, who had been celebrating his birthday and had consumed a significant amount of alcohol, entered the lounge. The woman, as a prank, took his name tag from his jacket and refused to give it back, running around the end of a sofa. In response, Bieneman tackled her to the ground, placing his shin over her throat while rummaging through her pocket for the tag.

According to the indictment, the woman struggled to breathe and attempted to communicate her distress by tapping on Bieneman's leg and making choking motions. After a minute, Bieneman found the tag and removed his shin from her airway. The woman later visited a medical clinic and reported improvements with respect to muscle tightness during a follow-up visit a week later. However, she suffered from lack of sleep, loss of appetite, anxiety, and depression as a result of the assault, leading her to leave her employment at McMurdo Station.

Following the incident, the National Science Foundation's (NSF) station manager and sworn Deputy U.S. Marshal, Marc Tunstall, began investigating the assault on November 29. However, despite an arrest warrant being issued for Bieneman on December 12, he was not immediately removed from his position. Instead, on December 10, he and the scientific team he was assigned to flew to the remote Allan Hills icefield, more than 100 miles from McMurdo.

The team, consisting of a professor and three young graduate students, was conducting research on ice cores at the icefield. Bieneman, tasked with ensuring their safety in the harsh environment, initially worked well with the team during the camp setup. However, his behavior soon changed, and he became domineering and critical, particularly towards the two female graduate students.

In a complaint filed by the University of Washington Professor Howard Conway to the NSF, it was revealed that Bieneman had disclosed to the graduate students that he had previously been involved in a fight with a woman in McMurdo. He portrayed himself as the victim in that incident and seemed to be under scrutiny. The graduate students felt uncomfortable and stressed around Bieneman, fearing possible retaliation if they disclosed the story.

The arrest warrant for Bieneman was not communicated to the research team, and he remained in the field with them for a full week after being charged with assault. It was only after the team returned to McMurdo that they were informed of the investigation and Bieneman's arrest. He was subsequently fired, given a plane ticket back to the U.S., and arrested upon landing in Hawaii.

The case has raised concerns about decision-making within the U.S. Antarctic Program, especially regarding the handling of sexual harassment and assault claims. An AP investigation in August revealed a pattern of women at McMurdo whose claims were minimized by their employers, putting them and others in further danger. In response to these concerns, the watchdog office overseeing the NSF has expanded its investigative mission to include crimes such as sexual assault and stalking, reinforcing the need for a thorough examination of the decision-making processes within the program.

Bieneman has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor assault charge and is due to go to trial on Monday in Honolulu. His lawyer, Birney Bervar, maintains that the incident was nothing more than “horseplay” and disputes the woman's account of the assault. However, a doctor who examined the woman soon after the incident found no evidence to support Bieneman's claim.

The case serves as a reminder of the importance of addressing and taking seriously allegations of assault and harassment in any workplace, even in remote and isolated locations like Antarctica. The outcome of the trial will have implications not only for the individuals involved but also for the larger issue of ensuring the safety and well-being of individuals working in scientific research programs in extreme environments.