Two hours after a Boston Globe columnist published a story detailing incidents of sexual harassment on Beacon Hill, House Speaker Robert DeLeo ordered a review of the Massachusetts House's sexual harassment policies.
BOSTON -- Two hours after a Boston Globe columnist published a story detailing incidents of sexual harassment on Beacon Hill, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, ordered a review of the Massachusetts House's sexual harassment policies.
"I am infuriated and deeply disturbed to hear that a dozen women who are professionally associated with the State House have described being sexually harassed while here," DeLeo said in a statement.
He said the House "has a zero tolerance policy for harassment of any form and has, and will continue to, thoroughly investigate any reported incident of harassment and take decisive and appropriate action to discipline offenders and protect victims."
Since accusations of sexual assault and harassment surfaced against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein a few weeks ago, accusations against other prominent figures have begun to surface. Women have begun posting on social media stories of being harassed or assaulted, with the hashtag #metoo.
On Friday afternoon, Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham published a story based on interviews with a dozen women who worked in and around Beacon Hill over the last two decades as staffers, lobbyists and legislators. The women, Abraham wrote, "described a climate of harassment and sexual misconduct, perpetrated by some of the men who hold a disproportionate share of power in the Commonwealth."
Women told Abraham stories about being propositioned to have sex or being touched in sexual ways by powerful men who could advance or impede their careers. Women talked about being harassed and being subjected to crude comments. One woman saw lawmakers looking at pornography on a cell phone during formal House sessions.
None of the women or the perpetrators were named, and women told Abraham they stayed silent because they feared for their careers.
"While I understand and support their desire to remain anonymous, the fact that victims fear the consequences to their careers of reporting the harassment is as upsetting as the harassment itself," DeLeo wrote.
DeLeo ordered the House counsel to undertake a comprehensive review of House policies on sexual harassment and retaliation and recommend any necessary changes to ensure that incidents of sexual harassment are investigated.
House Minority Leader Bradley Jones, R-North Reading, issued a statement supporting the review. "Everyone deserves a safe work environment free of sexual harassment, and no one should ever fear they will be subject to retaliation for reporting unacceptable behavior by a colleague, co-worker or supervisor," Jones said.