March 5, 2018 – If there is one thing we know from the anonymous sexual harassment allegations against the husband of former Senate President Stan Rosenberg — and one thing we should have known long before that — it is that victims of harassing or abusive behavior at the State House are reluctant to come forward, because the balance of power is decidedly not in their favor. That view was confirmed last week by the top lawyer for the House, who cited a power dynamic in that chamber that discourages complaints and inspires fear in victims that if they do come forward their identities won’t be kept confidential.
Yes, there is a well-known reluctance among members of the House and Senate to believe the worst of their colleagues, which may help explain why victims feel so powerless — and why they may be more comfortable speaking privately to journalists than to their institutional higher-ups.
In the wake of such reports last fall, Speaker Robert DeLeo ordered House counsel James Kennedy to examine the process for handling sexual harassment complaints in the House. Kennedy’s report, released Thursday, recommends an overhaul, including the appointment of an “equal employment opportunity officer” who would screen and investigate individual complaints of harassment.
The officer would operate independently of the House power structure (although at various points in the process reps would have a say in an accused harasser’s fate, if the accused is another rep). The system Kennedy has recommended is multi-layered and complicated. But the emphasis would be on ensuring confidentiality for complainants, which is critical to this entire exercise.
Sexual harassment complaints would no longer fall under the purview of the House Committee on Ethics, which is limited in its options for disciplining members. Mandatory annual training, in-person, is also in order, Kennedy said.
In short the House needs a structural change and a cultural change (we would argue that applies to the Senate, too) and it needs to update an outdated system that shortchanges victims. It also needs the cooperation of the full House if it is to succeed.
Gone are the days when old-school reps could chase their aides around the desk with impunity and the human resources function at the State House was mostly an informal affair. This is important work and DeLeo deserves credit for taking it on.
