Walter Palmer, Alleged Killer of Cecil the Lion: Has Past of Alleged Sexual Harassment And Other Legal Trouble [Documents]

Walter Palmer, 55, is the dentist under fire on social media for killing Cecil the lion, and animal activists have protested at his place of business, River Bluff Dental in Bloomington, Minnesota. Protesters have left stuffed animals in front of his dental practice, mourning the loss of Cecil. Currently in hiding, it’s easy to say that Palmer is one of the most hated individuals on the internet. There are even petitions demanding justice for Cecil the lion, with over 620,000 online signatures.

Cecil was one of Zimbabwe’s most beloved lions and was allegedly illegally lured from the Hwange National Park in July, according to People. Johnny Rodrigues, a spokesman for the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, stated the following, according to the Heavy. Palmer paid a $55,000 permit fee for the hunt.

“They went hunting at night with a spotlight and they spotted Cecil. They tied a dead animal to their vehicle to lure Cecil out of the park and they scented an area about half a kilometre from the park.”

Palmer learned to shoot from the tender age of 5-years-old, and an organization called Safari Club International, a big-game hunting group, has a list of 43 bow-and-arrow kills for Palmer. The list of the unfortunate creatures that met their demise at his hands includes moose, deer, buffalo, a polar bear, and a mountain lion. Photos of Palmer kneeling behind a dead lion in 2005 and with an African elephant in Zimbabwe in 2013 are in the records.

Palmer shot Cecil with a crossbow, as hunting is his sport of choice. The injured lion didn’t die immediately and allegedly suffered for about 40 hours until Palmer and his hunting party tracked Cecil down, and he shot the defenseless lion with his gun and killed him. He then beheaded and skinned the majestic creature.

The married father of two released a statement indicating that he thought that the hunt was legal. He stated the following according to People. He had regret for the “pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion….[I] relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt.” Even so, many animal lovers think it’s too little too late, and many question the ethics of hunting any animal for money. More information is coming out about the hunter. In 2006, he plead guilty to the illegal killing of a black bear in Wisconsin. His penalty? A $3,000 fine and a year probation.

An employee who worked for the Minneapolis dentist from 1999 to 2005 accused him of sexual harassment. The woman accused the dentist of “ongoing and unwelcome sexual harassment by, but not limited to, verbal comments and physical conduct involving her breasts, buttocks and genitalia,” according to the Daily Mail. The claim was settled for $127,500, which his insurer paid to the plaintiff. Palmer did not admit any wrongdoing, but instead indicated that he settled the complaint to “conclude the matter quickly and efficiently.” The woman also alleged that she lost her job in retaliation for reporting the dentist’s alleged conduct.

The woman–who was also a patient–stated that she reported the conduct to her supervisor and to Palmer to stop, but the sexual harassment continued. The Minnesota Board of Dentistry concluded that the complaint was officially dismissed and ordered Palmer to complete an ethics course, according to the Heavy. The link to the documents is here.

For now, the detested dentist has closed his practice, according to an article on the Inquisitr.

What do you think of Walter Palmer and his killing Cecil the Lion? Do you believe he thought it was a “legal kill?” What do you think about hunting for sport? Please leave your comments below.

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