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Responses to sexual assault and harassment in American politics (2017-2018)

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Misconduct (2017-2018)
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Sexual assault and harassment
Noteworthy sexual affairs
Noteworthy criminal misconduct
Noteworthy professional misconduct
See also: Misconduct in American politics (2017-2018) and Sexual assault and harassment in American politics (2017-2018)

This pages covers noteworthy responses to the increase in sexual assault and harassment allegations in late 2017 and 2018.

The increase in allegations began in October 2017 after film producer Harvey Weinstein was accused of harassment and assault by numerous women. It was soon thereafter called the #MeToo movement which, according to Glamour Magazine, involved "an avalanche of accusations against high-profile men in media, politics, Silicon Valley, and Hollywood..."[1][2]

This page covers two types of responses:

  1. A list of officials and candidates whose political careers were halted by sexual assault or harassment allegations
  2. Official governmental responses and organized campaigns in Congress and state legislatures


If you know of any responses that should be posted here, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.

List of elected officials who left office

The officials and candidates on this list resigned, retired, were expelled, ended their campaigns, or otherwise halted their political careers due to sexual assault or harassment allegations. Click on their profile links to learn more.

Federal government

State government

Alaska

Arizona

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Florida

Hawaii

Iowa

  • State Sen. Nate Boulton (D)—Suspended gubernatorial campaign

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Massachusetts

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Nebraska

New York

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Wyoming

Local government

  • Louisville, KY, Councilman Dan Johnson (D)—Expelled
  • Fayetteville, Arkansas Public Schools Superintendent Matthew Wendt—Dismissed

Party organizations

Notable responses

This section includes notable organized campaigns and official governmental responses in the aftermath of the #MeToo movement. Organized campaigns are mobilizations of political communities. An example would be an open letter signed by community members who were impacted by sexual harassment. Official responses are actions taken by authority figures in state capitols. An example would be a change in a sexual harassment policy. Wherever possible, this section attempts to focus on responses and campaigns rather than allegations against officials.

In January 2018, the Associated Press released a review of sexual harassment policies in state legislatures. It found that almost all states had policies, about two-thirds of legislative chambers required members to undergo sexual harassment prevention training, and less than half of legislatures conducted external investigations into complaints. It found that, in the last months of 2017, about three-fourths of legislatures had at least one of its chambers update its harassment policies.[6]

Congress

See also: Process for reporting sexual misconduct in Congress

On November 9, 2017, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution requiring all Senate members and staff to complete anti-harassment training. The measure was sponsored by a bipartisan group of senators including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.).[7]

On November 14, the U.S. House Committee on House Administration held a hearing to review the U.S. House of Representatives’ policies and training practices pertaining to sexual harassment. During the hearing, two House members, Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Cal.) accused unidentified male lawmakers of sexual misconduct.[8]

Also on November 14, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R) announced that anti-harassment training would become mandatory for all House members and staff.[9]

On February 6, 2018, the House unanimously passed legislation to overhaul the sexual misconduct reporting process in Congress.[10]

On February 21, the Senate unanimously passed legislation to overhaul the sexual misconduct reporting process in Congress. It was not the same bill that passed the House in February 2018.[11]

Alaska

On November 30, members of the state House and state Senate were appointed to the Sexual and Other Workplace Harassment Policy Subcommittee. The committee was formed to review sexual harassment policies and recommend updates. It was set to operate underneath the Legislative Council. Its chair was set to be the state legislature's human resources manager and its membership was to consist of three representatives and three senators. The subcommittee was scheduled to issue a report by January 2018.[12]

On December 6, Speaker Bryce Edgmon (D) announced that all legislative employees, including members, would be required to undergo sexual harassment training at the beginning of each legislative session.[13]

Arizona

On October 30, 2017, Arizona House Speaker J.D. Mesnard (R) emailed a new sexual harassment policy to representatives and legislative staffers. According to Matt Specht, a spokesman for the Arizona House Republicans, the policy emailed out by Mesnard was the first one the state House had adopted. The state Senate adopted a sexual harassment policy in 2005.[14]

California

On October 17, 2017, more than 140 women signed an open letter alleging that sexual misconduct commonly occurred at the California State Capitol and that the men responsible for the behavior were usually not punished. The signees included six of the 26 women serving in the California Legislature as of October 2017 as well as two retired legislators, lobbyists, political consultants, and state officials from the Democratic and Republican parties.[15] The letter continued to gain signatures after it was released on October 17.

Read the full letter here.

On October 23, 2017, some of the women who signed the letter announced they had formed the nonprofit organization We Said Enough to address sexual harassment policy at the California State Capitol.[16]

Delaware

On December 4, 2017, Delaware State News reported that both chambers of the Delaware General Assembly were changing their sexual harassment policies. The changes included explicitly forbidding sexual harassment in each chamber's rules and updating guidelines for legislative employees. Leaders in the state House said their chamber would begin conducting annual anti-harassment training and updating the reporting process.[17]

Florida

On October 27, 2017, state Senate President Joe Negron (R) released an updated sexual harassment policy for the state Senate that changed the reporting process for sexual harassment claims. Under the new rules, employees could file complaints with their direct supervisor, the state Senate chief of staff, or the state Senate president. Previously, employees had been able to file complaints with the director of human resources of the Office of Legislative Services (OLS). The state Senate president also replaced the director of human resources of OLS as the office responsible for investigating claims. The updated policy was released the same day that state Sen. Jeff Clemens (D) resigned after admitting he had had an affair with a lobbyist.[18]

Politico interviewed state senators and staffers who opposed the new rules, particularly the removal of the OLS as a reporting outlet. The employees interviewed said the new rules limited the number of outlets that victims had for reporting and that direct reports to Negron or his office could make victims less comfortable than reporting to OLS. Moreover, they said the reliance on Negron's office for reporting could cause a conflict of interest if he had a relationship with someone being accused of harassment. Katie Berra, a spokeswoman from Negron's office, said, “I don’t think removing HR from the policy is removing them from the process. The update is a more direct reporting structure within the Senate. But, certainly, HR would be involved in any claim of sexual harassment.”[18]

On October 30, Negron announced he would reconsider the policy changes for sexual harassment reporting. He sent out a memo saying that employees could still report sexual harassment to the director of human resources of OLS.[19]

Idaho

On November 27, 2017, 14 female state legislators signed a letter calling for mandatory sexual harassment training inside the state capitol.[20]

Illinois

On October 23, 2017, more than 160 women and men signed an open letter detailing instances of sexual harassment and sexual assaults at the Illinois State Capitol. The letter called for a change to the state Capitol's culture and cited a similar open letter from the California State Capitol. As of October 30, 2017, the list of persons who signed the letter was not public. According to CBS Chicago, the signers included state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D).[21]

Read the full letter here.

On November 7, the Illinois General Assembly unanimously passed legislation proposed by Speaker Michael Madigan (D) to require sexual harassment awareness training for state officers, legislators, staffers, and lobbyists. The legislation included sexual harassment in the state ethics code and made it punishable by a $5,000 fine.[22] The legislature also unanimously passed legislation allowing Inspector General Porter to investigate the 27 pending ethics complaints by extending the statute of limitations for those cases. According to the Southern Illinoisan, some House Republicans criticized the new ethics legislation, saying it would not be able to hold legislators accountable for conflicts of interests. Both chambers also created task forces to study further changes in ethics laws and recommend changes.[23]

On November 16, Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) signed the two bills related to sexual harassment training and ethics complaints investigations, respectively, into law. He said that the legislation related to the ethics complaints investigations was flawed but that he signed it in order to facilitate the investigations of 27 ethics complaints. He indicated that he thought the legislation should have given the inspector general more independence from legislators.[22]

On April 11, the Illinois House of Representatives unanimously voted in favor of a bill that would prohibit state funds from being used in sexual harassment cases against lawmakers. The bill states, "no public funds ... shall be paid to any person in exchange for his or her silence or inaction related to an allegation or investigation of sexual harassment."[24]

Indiana

On March 22, Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) signed House Bill 1309 into law. HB 1309 mandated that lawmakers establish a sexual harassment policy by November 20, 2018, that included protocols for investigating allegations and a requirement that lawmakers complete one hour of sexual harassment training per year. The policy was the first of its kind for Indiana lawmakers, according to the Indy Star.[25]

During the signing ceremony, Holcomb said:

“ In light of the many recent, high-profile sexual workplace harassment cases, we decided in this office to take another hard look at what our policy was currently and to re-examine what enhancement can, and more importantly, should be done. There is absolutely no room for harassment in the workplace — period.[26] ”

Iowa

On November 9, the Des Moines Register reported that the Iowa General Assembly would hire a human resources manager to oversee complaints of sexual harassment at the state capitol.[27] In September 2017, the state agreed to a $1.75 million settlement with Kirsten Anderson, a former Senate Republican staffer. Anderson claimed she was fired in 2013 after filing sexual harassment complaints against men in her office. In July 2017, a jury had ruled in her favor in a trial over the claims and awarded her $2.2 million in damages. The $1.75 settlement came after the state agreed to drop its appeal of the verdict.[28]

On November 13, state Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix (R) released a statement saying that he would not reveal why Anderson was dismissed from her position, citing privacy concerns of Senate employees. Dix and his aides investigated Anderson's case after the jury ruled in her favor in July 2017.[29]

On November 14, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) said that the state Senate should release details of the investigation into Anderson's complaints and dismissal. Later that day, Dix held a press conference where he said that he was delaying plans to hire a human resources manager to oversee sexual harassment complaints. He said his office would consult with an outside organization before deciding how to move forward.[30]

On November 21, Dix announced that he would release the internal report on Anderson's complaints and dismissal. He also announced that former Ambassador Mary Kramer would be advising him on workplace culture and that he would renew efforts to work with the state House in hiring a human resources manager to oversee sexual misconduct complaints.[31]

On November 24, the internal report covering sexual misconduct in a period from before Kirsten Anderson's 2013 dismissal to July 2017 was released. According to the Des Moines Register, the report's key findings were that anti-harassment training among Senate Republican staffers was ineffective, the term "zero tolerance" was a source of confusion, and that an outside investigation was not needed. The report detailed sexually explicit conversations among state senators on the chamber's floor.

Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen said, "The findings of this internal report are deeply troubling. The report will increase the disgust that Iowans feel about the harassment, discrimination and retaliation against Kirsten Anderson and other legislative staff." Petersen also said that the report could lead to further lawsuits unless Senate Republicans made changes in their staff or leadership.[32]

On December 1, the Des Moines Register reported that Iowa House of Representatives members and staff would be required to undergo sexual harassment prevention training before the 2018 legislative session began. Previously, members and employees had to sign a document saying they had read the policy. House Republican spokesman Colin Tadlock said the policy change was not related to the internal report released by the state Senate.[33]

Kansas

On October 27, House Minority Leader Jim Ward (D) announced that House Democrats would undergo sexual harassment prevention training and said that any member found to have committed sexual harassment would be stripped of committee assignments.[34]

On October 30, the Legislative Coordinating Council (LCC), a committee including Democratic and Republican legislative leaders, authorized legislative staff to work with the Women's Foundation to review the legislature's sexual harassment policy and identify areas for updates.[35] The Women's Foundation previously worked with the Missouri State Legislature following allegations of sexual harassment in 2015.[36]

Kentucky

On November 1, 2017, the Courier-Journal reported that Speaker of the House Jeffrey Hoover (R) had settled a sexual harassment claim brought by a female staffer.[37]

On November 4, other members of the House Republican leadership announced that they would hire a law firm to investigate Hoover's settlement.[38] Also on November 4, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) said that any elected officials or state employee who had settled a sexual harassment claim should resign their position immediately.[39]

Hoover announced his resignation as speaker of the House on November 5, saying that a settlement had been reached on October 25. He said he had sent inappropriate, but consensual, texts to a female staffer. After Hoover announced his resignation, the House Republicans said the investigation by the law firm would continue.[40]

State Reps. Brian Linder (R), Michael Meredith (R), and Jim DeCesare (R) were also involved in the same sexual harassment settlement as Hoover. All three were temporarily removed from their positions as committee chairmen.[41]

On November 6, the FBI said it was looking into sexual harassment and retaliation possibly related to the Hoover incident. According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, these claims could have been related to the demotion of House Republican Communications Director Daisy Olivo, who said she was relieved of her duty of speaking to the press after she reported what she said was a “toxic work environment” in the House Republican leadership office to the Legislative Research Commission.[42]

On November 15, state Rep. Jim Wayne (D) filed a complaint with the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission that requested an investigation into the settlement that Hoover, Linder, Meredith, and DeCesare entered into.[43]

On November 16, Legislative Research Commission Director David Byerman said that taxpayer funds were not used to pay for the sexual harassment settlement.[44]

On December 1, the law firm hired to investigate the settlement reached by Hoover, Linder, Meredith, and DeCesare announced that it was unable to determine how much money was paid in the settlement.

On December 4, House Republican Communications Director Daisy Olivo filed a whistleblower lawsuit saying that she and a House aide who was having a sexual relationship with Hoover were targeted by Hoover's chief of staff, Ginger Wills. Specifically, she said she was shunned by members of the House Republican leadership office after news of sexual harassment settlement became public and this left her unable to perform her job. Olivo's suit claims that the sexual harassment settlement that Hoover agreed to involved his relationship with the aide and that it was paid with private funds from campaign donations. She also said that Hoover mischaracterized his relationship with the aide when he claimed it only involved text messaging and that it was actually a physical relationship.[45] An attorney for the House aide that Olivo named in the suit denied that she had a sexual relationship with Hoover.[46]

Also on December 4, state Rep. C. Wesley Morgan (R) filed a resolution to expel Hoover from the chamber.[46]

On January 8, 2018, Hoover made his resignation as speaker of the Kentucky House official. After announcing his resignation in November 2017, he had been reconsidering whether to leave his leadership position and eventually decided to do so. He continued to deny that he had sexually harassed a female staffer, saying that he had sent inappropriate text messages. He also said that Gov. Bevin did not speak truthfully about his relationship with the staffer when he said it was sexual and that other unnamed individuals associated with the legislature had betrayed him. He said would continue to serve as a state representative.[47]

On January 10, the Kentucky House voted 90-0 to abolish a procedural rule that would have allowed a committee of lawmakers to investigate requests for the expulsion of lawmakers. The rule had originally passed on January 2, the day before a group of eight Republicans requested that Jeff Hoover be expelled from the chamber. The members were Addia Wuchner, Kim King, Russell Webber, Stan Lee, Robert J. Benvenuti III, Phil Moffett, Tim Moore, and Joseph Fischer. Speaker Pro Tempore Osborne said that the original vote had been a mistake and that he and Democratic leader Rocky Adkins had decided that the Legislative Ethics Committee should have jurisdiction over the investigation of Hoover.[48][49]

Louisiana

The Louisiana House of Representatives unanimously voted on March 21 to advance a bill that would establish state and local government sexual harassment policies. House Bill 524 was sent to the Louisiana State Senate for consideration. The measure would require state and local government agency heads to develop and put into place sexual harassment prevention policies and compile an annual compliance report. Public employees would be required to receive mandatory sexual harassment training.[50]

On May 9, 2018, the Louisiana State Legislature approved House Bill 524, which would require state agencies to:

  • adopt sexual harassment policies clarifying that conduct such as unwelcome sexual advances or sexual behavior will not be tolerated,
  • establish a grievance process for filing complaints,
  • prohibit retaliation against individuals who file complaints,
  • track employee sexual harassment training compliance and make the compliance data publicly available, and
  • publish an annual report including the number of sexual harassment complaints it received.

The bill would also require legislators to complete at least one hour of anti-harassment training per year.[51][52]

Maryland

On December 12, 2017, the Legislative Policy Committee unanimously voted to update the Maryland General Assembly's rules on sexual misconduct. The updates allowed sexual harassment complaints to be tracked. The changes also allowed sexual harassment complaints to be possibly referred to ethics officials who could make disciplinary recommendations, including expulsion from the legislature.[53]

On February 2018, the Maryland General Assembly's Women's Caucus released a 38-page report detailing allegations of sexual harassment by female legislators, lobbyists, and staffers. The report came out on the same day that a working group began meeting to form recommendations on potential changes to sexual harassment policies.[54]

On April 6, the Maryland State Senate unanimously approved a measure that would change the Maryland General Assembly's policy on sexual harassment complaints. The Maryland House of Delegates advanced the measure on March 19 but the House needed to vote a second time to approve Senate changes.

Under the Senate measure, sexual harassment complaints would be referred to an independent investigator in all situations. The House version required an independent investigator only in certain situations. The Senate version would also prohibit taxpayer money from being used in a sexual harassment lawsuit. Both the Senate and House versions would include lobbyists in the state's sexual harassment policies.[55]

Republican Gov. Larry Hogan signed HB 1342, which updates sexual harassment policies in the Maryland General Assembly, on May 8, 2018. The bill authorizes the legislature's Joint Ethics Committee to send sexual harassment complaints to an independent investigator and requires an independent investigator if a harassment complaint has been filed against the same member more than once. The bill also includes lobbyists in the sexual harassment policies.[56][57][58]

Massachusetts

On October 27, 2017, Yvonne Abraham published a column in the Boston Globe that detailed anonymous allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct at the Massachusetts State Capitol going back to the 1990s.

Later that day, state House Speaker Robert DeLeo (D) ordered a review of his chamber's sexual harassment policies, citing Abraham's column as the reason. His order mandated that state House chief legal counsel James Kennedy review the chamber's policies and recommend updates by March 1, 2018.[59]

New Mexico

On November 24, 2017, state Rep. Kelly Fajardo (R) wrote an open letter saying that sexual harassment was common at the New Mexico State Legislature and that the legislature's 2008 policy needed to be changed.[60]

On November 29, New Mexico legislative leaders announced that they planned to make changes to the state legislature's sexual harassment policies by the end of January 2018. A report on the policies was scheduled to be drawn up by Democratic and Republican members before a meeting of the Legislative Council in December.[61]

On December 6, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported that state House Speaker Brian Egolf (D) said all members would be required to attend harassment training before the next legislative session began.[62]

On January 15, 2018, the New Mexico Legislative Council voted 15-0 to adopt a new sexual harassment policy. The new policy included a new definition of harassment, biannual harassment training for legislators, and a new investigatory process that would bring in an outside lawyer to look into allegations against lawmakers. The previous policy passed in 2008 and gave legislative leaders and their staff the ability to investigate allegations.[63]

North Dakota

On November 16, 2017, House Majority Leader Al Carlson (R) announced that the Legislative Procedure and Arrangements Committee would examine the chamber's sexual harassment policies on December 6. According to Carlson, the policies could be outdated. Legislative Council Director Jim Smith told the Bismarck Tribune that the North Dakota State Legislature does not have sexual harassment training. The Tribune also noted that the sexual harassment policy at the time did not include a provision dealing with reporting harassment.[64]

Ohio

On October 19, 2017, Senate President Larry Obhof (R) announced that state senators would undergo sexual harassment prevention training.[65]

On January 2, 2018, House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger (R) informed House members and staff that they must attend mandatory sexual harassment training.[66]

Oregon

On October 27, 130 women signed an open letter condemning sexual harassment and assault at the Oregon State Capitol. The signers included Democratic and Republican lawmakers, legislative staffers, and lobbyists.

Read the full letter here.

Also on October 27, state House Speaker Tina Kotek (D) announced that the state legislature would hire an outside consultant to review sexual harassment training and personnel policies.[67]

On August 1, 2018, Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries Brad Avakian filed a complaint against Senate President Peter Courtney (D) and House Speaker Tina Kotek (D) for fostering a hostile environment and "subjecting multiple individuals in the Capitol to unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature." Click here for more information.

Read the complaint here.

Rhode Island

On October 16, 2017, the Providence Journal published an interview with state Rep. Teresa Tanzi (D). In the interview, Tanzi said that a male colleague in a high-ranking position had told her that "sexual favors would allow [her] bills to go further."[68] She did not identify the person who made the remark to her.

On October 17, House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello (D) said that in light of Tanzi's statements, all House members and staff would undergo sexual harassment training at the beginning of the 2018 legislative session.[69]

South Dakota

On January 9, 2018, Senate President Pro Tempore Brock Greenfield (R) announced that he was appointing a group of legislators to examine the Legislature's sexual harassment policies, including changes proposed by Democratic state Sen. Billie Sutton, who had earlier criticized the Legislature's policies.[70]

Tennessee

On November 20, 2017, House Speaker Beth Harwell (R) informed members of the Tennessee House and House staffers that they must attend in-person training on sexual harassment. The in-person training mandate replaced a 15-minute informational video that was previously required. Sexual misconduct allegations were brought against two Tennessee lawmakers in 2016 and 2017, respectively.[71]

Texas

On November 13, 2017, the Texas Tribune published a report on the culture of sexual misconduct at the state capitol, citing interviews with more than 24 current and former legislators and staffers. The report said that while sexual misconduct was commonplace, there had not been a formal complaint in either the state House or the state Senate since 2011 and most inappropriate behavior went unaddressed.

On November 14, Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick (R) and House Speaker Joe Straus (R) both indicated they would review their respective chambers' sexual harassment policies in response to the Tribune story. Straus directed officials in the state House to put a sexual harassment training policy in place by the end of January.[72]

On November 21, KXAN reported that state House members received a draft memo from the House Administration Committee proposing mandatory sexual harassment training for members, staffers, and interns.[73]

On December 1, the Texas House Administration Committee approved a new sexual misconduct policy for the chamber. According to committee Chairman Charlie Geren (R), the new policy would require House employees and staff to attend sexual harassment prevention training by January 2018. Representatives would not be required to attend, but House leaders would keep a record of who attended the meetings. Geren also said that he would ask House Speaker Straus to create a working group to review the chamber's policies and recommend changes ahead of the 2019 legislative session. According to the Texas Tribune, the new policy also included changes to prevent retaliation against persons who report sexual misconduct and more details on how to report specific incidents.[74]

Washington

On November 6, 2017, 175 women affiliated with the Washington State Capitol signed an open letter calling for a change in the culture at the state legislature, which they said facilitates sexual harassment. The signers included Democratic and Republican state legislators.[75]

Read the full letter here.

The letter followed an October 31 article from the Northwest News Network, The News Tribune, and The Olympian detailing instances of sexual misconduct at the state Capitol.[76]

According to Northwest Public Radio, the Washington House began reviewing its sexual harassment policies with the help of an outside consultant in January.[77]

On November 15, the state Senate’s Facilities and Operations Committee approved changes in the chamber's sexual misconduct policies. These changes included requiring annual sexual harassment training, posting the chamber's policies on the internet, making lobbyists aware of the policies when they register, and appointing a Democratic legislator and a Republican legislator to monitor the issue.[78]

On November 30, a group of women who signed the open letter (using the organizational name "Stand With Us") released part of their plan to address sexual misconduct at the state capitol. According to an email from lobbyist Rebecca Johnson, Stand With Us wanted the legislature to shift control of the human resources services from legislative leaders to a nonpartisan administrator. Johnson said this would decrease the fear that persons who report sexual misconduct could be retaliated against by legislators. Johnson also said that the state Senate and the state House should consolidate their approaches to sexual harassment reporting.[79]

Wisconsin

On November 16, 2017, the Capital Times reported that both chambers of the Wisconsin State Legislature were planning to require additional sexual harassment training for legislators and legislative employees. At the time of the announcement, the state Senate did not offer training on its sexual harassment policy. A spokeswoman for the state Assembly's Republican leadership said additional training could be put in place for its members and employees.[80]

On November 28, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) and Minority Leader Gordon Hintz (D) announced that no changes would be made to their chamber's reporting and disciplinary policies for sexual misconduct. The policy at the time of the announcement did not allow for the release of information about sexual misconduct complaints unless the complaints result in criminal charges. They also announced that legislators and staffers would have to attend mandatory sexual harassment training at the beginning of each legislative session.[81] Assembly staffers were required to attend a November 28 meeting about sexual harassment prevention and response.[82]

On January 16, 2018, the Wisconsin Assembly approved a resolution making sexual harassment training mandatory.[83]

Background

Weinstein sexual misconduct allegations

Increased media coverage of sexual misconduct in state capitols and other government and business institutions began after allegations of misconduct against film producer Harvey Weinstein arose in October 2017. Weinstein was a co-founder and co-chairman of the Weinstein Company, which had produced award-winning films such as The Artist and The King's Speech.[84]

On October 5, the New York Times published a story that recounted allegations of sexual harassment against Weinstein from 1990 to 2015.[85] On October 8, Weinstein was fired by the Weinstein Company. He was removed from its board on October 17 after additional allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape were levied against him by actresses and models.

Starting October 15, women began using the hashtag #MeToo on Twitter to express that they had been victims of sexual harassment or sexual assault. #MeToo was either explicitly used or implied in open letters in the California, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington state capitols that alleged sexual misconduct was commonplace.[2]

Sexual harassment policies in state legislatures prior to October 2017

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) issued a survey in October 2016, asking human resources departments in state legislatures about their policies regarding sexual harassment. NCSL received responses from 49 offices in 44 states. Of the 49 offices that replied, 37 reported having formal policies on sexual harassment. For example, a California law required that state employees in supervisory roles undergo two hours of training on sexual harassment policies every two years.[86]

For reporting sexual harassment, some state legislatures, such as New York's, referred all sexual harassment complaints to outside law firms for investigation. However, according to the NCSL in 2017, it was common for states to require the outside reports to go through committees controlled by legislative leaders.[87]

Noteworthy events prior to October 2017

This section details notable cases of sexual misconduct in state legislatures before the Weinstein reports and #MeToo renewed the focus on the issue in October 2017. This is a selected list and does not cover all notable instances related to sexual misconduct before October 2017.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Glamour Magazine, "Post-Weinstein, These Are the Powerful Men Facing Sexual Harassment Allegations," November 30, 2017
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 New York Times, "#MeToo Floods Social Media With Stories of Harassment and Assault," October 16, 2017
  3. ↑ Washington Post, "With Tooke’s resignation, scandal continues to burn the U.S. Forest Service," March 8, 2018
  4. ↑ Withdrew from appointment to Public Service Commission
  5. ↑ Committed suicide
  6. ↑ AP News, "States rethink sexual misconduct policies after complaints," January 11, 2018
  7. ↑ The Hill, “Senate passes resolution requiring mandatory sexual harassment training,” November 9, 2017
  8. ↑ CNN, “Lawmakers say sexual harassers serving in Congress,” November 14, 2017
  9. ↑ CNN, “Paul Ryan orders mandatory sexual harassment training for members, staff,” November 14, 2017
  10. ↑ The Hill, "House passes landmark bill to overhaul sexual harassment policy on Capitol Hill," February 6, 2018
  11. ↑ The Hill, "Senate harassment bill runs into opposition from House," May 25, 2018
  12. ↑ Daily News Miner, "Legislative subcommittee tasked with reviewing harassment policies in Alaska Legislature," November 30, 2017
  13. ↑ Daily News-Miner, "Alaska House speaker demands harassment training for Legislature after Westlake, Wilson allegations," December 7, 2017
  14. ↑ Arizona Central, "Arizona House members adopt first written sexual harassment policy," November 2, 2017
  15. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Read the letter: Women in California politics call out ‘pervasive’ culture of sexual harassment," October 17, 2017
  16. ↑ We Said Enough, "We Said Enough: Demands End to Pervasive Harassment Culture," October 23, 2017
  17. ↑ Delaware State News, "Legislature updating sexual harassment policies," December 4, 2017
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Politico, "Senate’s new sex harassment reporting policy comes under fire," October 29, 2017
  19. ↑ Sunshine State News, "Joe Negron to 'Revisit' Senate Sexual Harassment Reporting Policy," October 30, 2017
  20. ↑ Washington Times, "Female Idaho lawmakers call for sexual harassment training," November 27, 2017
  21. ↑ CBS Chicago, "Rauner ‘Deeply, Deeply Troubled’ By Letter Detailing Sexual Harassment In Springfield," October 27, 2017
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Chicago Sun-Times, "Rauner both signs and critiques sexual harassment legislation," November 17, 2017
  23. ↑ Southern Illinoisan, "Illinois lawmakers engulfed by fixing sex-harassment mess," November 7, 2017
  24. ↑ Illinois General Assembly, "Full Text of HB4243," accessed April 16, 2018
  25. ↑ Indy Star, "For the first time, Indiana lawmakers will be subject to a sexual harassment policy," March 22, 2018
  26. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  27. ↑ Des Moines Register, "Iowa Legislature harassment complaints will be dealt with by new HR manager," November 9, 2017
  28. ↑ Des Moines Register, "$1.75 million settlement reached in Iowa Senate sex harassment lawsuit," September 28, 2017
  29. ↑ Radio Iowa, "Senate GOP leader: ‘expectation of privacy’ for sexual harassment investigation," November 13, 2017
  30. ↑ U.S. News and World Report, "The Latest: Senate GOP Leader to Delay HR Job on Harassment," November 14, 2017
  31. ↑ The Courier, "Iowa Senate GOP leader: Change needed after harassment settlement," November 21, 2017
  32. ↑ Des Moines Register, "Internal review: Iowa legislators made sexual comments on Senate floor," November 24, 2017
  33. ↑ Des Moines Register, "Iowa House of Representatives to require new sexual harassment training," December 1, 2017
  34. ↑ Governing, "Sexual Harassment Training Added to Kansas Democratic Lawmakers' Schedule," October 30, 2017
  35. ↑ KCUR, "After Allegations, Kansas Legislative Leaders Call For Update Of Sexual Harassment Policy," October 30, 2017
  36. ↑ News Observer, "Missouri foundation to study harassment in Kansas politics," October 31, 2017
  37. ↑ Courier Journal, "House Speaker Jeff Hoover secretly settled sexual harassment claim by staffer, sources say," November 1, 2017
  38. ↑ U.S. News and World Report, "Kentucky House GOP to Investigate Sexual Harassment Claim," November 4, 2017
  39. ↑ ABC News, "Kentucky governor calls for public officials who settled harassment claims to quit," November 4, 2017
  40. ↑ PBS, "Kentucky House speaker resigns post after texts with staffer," November 5, 2017
  41. ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Report on sexual harassment scandal expected in 10 days, House GOP leaders say," November 10, 2017
  42. ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "FBI confirms it is reviewing sexual harassment allegations in Kentucky Capitol," November 6, 2017
  43. ↑ WKYT, "Rep. Jim Wayne requests investigation of harassment settlement," November 15, 2017
  44. ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Who paid for Jeff Hoover’s sexual harassment settlement? Not taxpayers, LRC says.," November 16, 2017
  45. ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Jeff Hoover had sex with staffer and used donors to fund settlement, lawsuit alleges," December 4, 2017
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 Washington Post, "The Latest: Woman denies sexual relationship with ex speaker," December 4, 2017
  47. ↑ Courier-Journal, "Jeff Hoover resigns as House speaker amid sexual harassment scandal," January 8, 2018
  48. ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Eight House members file complaint, call for expulsion of Speaker Jeff Hoover," January 3, 2018
  49. ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Kentucky House disbands special committee investigating Jeff Hoover scandal," January 10, 2018
  50. ↑ The Advocate, "Louisiana House passes first bill addressing lack of sexual harassment policies," March 21, 2018
  51. ↑ The Times-Picayune, "Louisiana Legislature approves stronger sexual harassment policy," May 9, 2018
  52. ↑ The Advocate, "Lawmakers send sexual harassment bill to governor's desk," May 9, 2018
  53. ↑ Baltimore Sun, "General Assembly to track sexual harassment complaints against lawmakers," December 12, 2017
  54. ↑ WTOP, "‘Like a fraternity house’: Report reveals sexual harassment in Maryland State House," February 16, 2018
  55. ↑ The Democrat Star, "State Senate passes sexual harassment complaints bill," April 7, 2018
  56. ↑ WTOP, "Maryland Senate passes sexual harassment bill," April 6, 2018
  57. ↑ The Frederick News-Post, "Hogan signs education, #MeToo bills into law," May 8, 2018
  58. ↑ The Baltimore Sun, "In response to #MeToo, Maryland legislature to change how it polices sexual harassment," April 9, 2018
  59. ↑ Newbury Port News, "Sexual harassment reports spur Mass. House to review its policies," October 29, 2017
  60. ↑ Las Cruces Sun-News, "New Mexico state legislator calls for overhaul of sexual harassment policy," November 26, 2017
  61. ↑ Las Cruces Sun-News, "Bipartisan plan would overhaul New Mexico Legislature's harassment policy," November 30, 2017
  62. ↑ Santa Fe New Mexican, "What next for #MeToo?," December 6, 2017
  63. ↑ Los Alamos Monitor, "2018 State Legislature: Lawmakers vote to expand harassment policy Monday," January 16, 2018
  64. ↑ Bismarck Tribune, "ND lawmakers to examine sexual harassment policy," November 16, 2017
  65. ↑ WVXU, "Senate To Conduct Sexual Harassment Training," October 19, 2017
  66. ↑ Columbus Dispatch, "In Ohio, lawmaker’s sexual harassment training now required," January 12, 2018
  67. ↑ KUOW, "Oregon Legislature Plans To Hire Consultant To Review Sexual Harassment Policies," October 27, 2017
  68. ↑ Providence Journal, "RI lawmakers share #MeToo revelations of sexual assault, harassment," October 16, 2017
  69. ↑ Rhode Island Public Radio, "In Change, Rhode Island Lawmakers To Get Sexual Harassment Training," October 17, 2017
  70. ↑ McClatchy DC, "Panel to examine Legislature's anti-harassment rules," January 9, 2018
  71. ↑ Tennessean, "Tennessee House lawmakers must attend in-person sexual harassment training, speaker says," November 20, 2017
  72. ↑ Texas Tribune, "Texas leaders call for reviews of Capitol sexual harassment policies," November 14, 2017
  73. ↑ KXAN, "Texas House to set up sexual harassment training, public meeting in December," November 21, 2017
  74. ↑ Texas Tribune, "Texas House revises sexual harassment policy following reports of flaws," December 1, 2017
  75. ↑ Northwest Public Radio, "175 Women Sign Letter Calling For End To Sexual Harassment In Washington State Legislature," November 6, 2017
  76. ↑ Northwest News Network, "Women At Washington State Capitol Say 'Me Too'," October 31, 2017
  77. ↑ Northwest Public Radio, "Women Speak Out, Name Names After Report On Sexual Harassment In State Capitol," November 3, 2017
  78. ↑ The News Tribune, "Anonymous source comes forward to detail past harassment complaints as Senate makes changes," November 15, 2017
  79. ↑ The News Tribune, "‘Stand With Us’ group wants lawmakers to take politics out of sexual harassment reporting," November 30, 2017
  80. ↑ Capital Times, "Wisconsin Senate, Assembly aim to offer new sexual harassment training in 'near future'," November 16, 2017
  81. ↑ Wisconsin Public Radio, "State Assembly Leaders Stand By Sexual Harassment Policies," November 28, 2017
  82. ↑ Capital Times, "Wisconsin Assembly, Senate moving forward with updates to sexual harassment policies," November 28, 2017
  83. ↑ Governing, "Sexual Harassment Training Now Required for Wisconsin Lawmakers," January 17, 2018
  84. ↑ BBC, "Harvey Weinstein timeline: How the scandal unfolded," October 26, 2017
  85. ↑ New York Times, "Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades," October 5, 2017
  86. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Sexual Harassment Policies and Training in State Legislatures," July 2017
  87. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named SACB
  88. ↑ Star Tribune, "Wisconsin Assembly Republicans strip majority leader of post amid abuse allegations," March 4, 2014
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