Legislative Leaders Respond To Report On Sexual Harassment In Washington Capitol
Listen
Leaders in the Washington Legislature said they won’t tolerate sexual harassment, and encourage women to report unwanted attention from men. Those comments follow NWPR’s investigation with The News Tribune of Tacoma into the workplace climate at the state Capitol.
NWPR’s reporting quoted current and former lobbyists and legislative staffers who described a range of experiences from inappropriate comments to pats on the bottom to actual groping. Female lobbyists said they often feel powerless to address unwelcome behavior by male lobbyists because there’s no formal structure for doing so.
Senate Minority Leader Sharon Nelson, a Democrat, said she will work to address that.
“I want to take another look and work with them this coming session and have some conversations about how we might be able to help them with issues that arise,” she said.
In a statement, Speaker of the House Frank Chopp said, “We encourage anyone—members, staff or lobbyists—who feel they’ve been harassed to report it to the Chief Clerk’s office.”
House Republican Leader Dan Kristiansen said he believes “the institution has a strong policy in place to address concerns that are brought forward.”
Copyright 2017 Northwest News Network.
Related Stories:
US Marshals Service says that Travis Decker is dead
The U.S. Marshals Service has said that Travis Decker, the man wanted in connection with the deaths of his three daughters, is dead.
Displaced in the fields: Domestic farmworkers and the cost of immigration shifts in the Pacific Northwest
As immigration policies shift nationwide, local farmworkers in the Northwest say they are losing hours and losing ground. Some fear being replaced by foreign workers on visas, while others worry about detention.
Walla Walla Heroes Memorial Run to raise scholarship money
5K organizers in Walla Walla, Washington, hope runners and walkers will overwhelm paths with their support. The run will raise scholarship money in honor of three healthcare workers who recently passed away.
