PORTLAND, OR – A new report paints a grim picture of how the state legislature handles reports of sexual harassment. The Civil Rights Division of the Bureau of Labor Industries “found substantial evidence that instances of sex harassment have occurred repeatedly in the State Capitol over a period of years.”
The report was released Thursday after a five-month investigation.
The initial complaint came from BOLI Commissioner Brad Avakian and named former State Senator Jeff Kruse as being responsible for much of the harassment but also named the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Administration Committee as respondents.
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The report also states that the Civil Rights Division investigators found “substantial evidence” that he legislature either knew or should have known of the harassment, and that the legislature failed to take immediate and appropriate corrective action.
The legislature is “aware of the inherent chilling effect created by the power imbalance between legislators and those whose careers can be significantly hindered by” them, according to the report.
BOLI found that the legislature “compounded that chilling effect in multiple ways.
Investigators found that at one point, the Legislative Administration Committee looked into a complaint that one representative had “ranked female lobbyists based on their physical attributes.”
The committee declared the complaint “false.”
When BOLI investigators asked about the incident, the lawyer for the committee suggested that “false” just means “unsubstantiated.
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“While concluding that a claim is unsubstantiated recognizes the possibility the claim could nonetheless be true, or at least brought in good faith, declaring the claim to be false is to imply the claimant is lying.”
The report singles out state Senators Sara Gelser for coming forward with accusations – since substantiated – against state Senator Jeff Kruse.
“But for Senator Gelser’s willing ness to raise these issues publicly, there is no reason to believe (Kruse and the legislature) would be willing to do anything to change the status quo.”
Investigators conclude that Gelser paid a price when she initially complained about Kruse’s behavior, saying that she “credibly described being subject to” retaliation.
According to the report, Gelser was yelled by Senate President Pete Courtney, Senator Ginny Burdick accused her of grandstanding and Speaker of the House Tina Kotek “telling her this was political and the problem was people don’t like her.
“Other victims of sex harassment could reasonably be expected to observe all of the above and conclude that the risk of reporting harassment is too great.”
YOU CAN READ THE WHOLE REPORT HERE.
Photo via Oregon Legislature.