How Congress plays by different rules on sexual harassment and misconduct
(video from Rep. Speier at link)
How Congress plays by different rules on sexual harassment and misconduct
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We know it goes on' : The sexual harassment problem in Congress
Rep. Jackie Speier (D Calif.) says the current system for reporting sexual harassment in Congress shields offenders and punishes victims. (Clare Major)
By Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Elise Viebeck October 27 at 6:00 AM
Briony Whitehouse was a 19-year-old intern in 2003 when she boarded an elevator in the Russell Senate Office Building with a Republican senator, who she said groped her until the doors reopened.
She never reported the incident to her bosses for fear of jeopardizing her career. But she recently tweeted about her experience on Twitter as part of the “#MeToo” campaign, a social-media phenomenon that has aired thousands of complaints about unwanted sexual harassment.
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If Whitehouse had chosen to pursue a complaint against the senator, she would have discovered a process unlike other parts of the federal government or much of the private sector. Her complaint likely would have been thrown out because interns have limited harassment protections under the unique employment law that Congress applies to itself. Congress makes its own rules about the handling of sexual complaints against members and staff, passing laws exempting it from practices that apply to other employers.
The result is a culture in which some lawmakers suspect harassment is rampant. Yet victims are unlikely to come forward, according to attorneys who represent them. Under a law in place since 1995, accusers may file lawsuits only if they first agree to go through months of counseling and mediation. A special congressional office is charged with trying to resolve the cases out of court.
When settlements do occur, members do not pay them from their own office funds, a requirement in other federal agencies. Instead, the confidential payments come out of a special U.S. Treasury fund.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-congress-plays-by-different-rules-on-sexual-harassment-and-misconduct/2017/10/26/2b9a8412-b80c-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html?utm_term=.2cfc7c3fbf5f