CommentsBCK FILE--Sexual harassment has taken over the news and social media feeds. Every day, there’s another high-profile executive or celebrity who has been harassing female colleagues in the office or on set. As I wrote in CityWatch last week, hopefully, this vigilance to suspend, fire, or elicit resignations isn’t a temporary P.R. move but authentic change.
This culture of harassment isn’t restricted to Hollywood or the media business, despite the conduct of men like Harvey Weinstein, director James Toback, Bill O’Reilly, and journalist James Halperin. This is not a partisan issue as much as a culture that objectifies women and disposes us after a certain age.
And this culture has deep claws in California’s state capitol.
When legislative director Nancy Kathleen Finnigan, who at one time worked for former State Assembly member Steve Fox filed a list of sexual harassment grievances against Fox, she was fired one month later. Finnigan won a $100,000 settlement from the Assembly this year in a wrongful termination suit that charged sexual harassment and retaliation.
Finnigan is not alone.
Two weeks ago, almost 200 women in Sacramento signed a letter, citing rampant sexual misconduct in the state capitol, alleging groping, threats, and a broken human resources system that won’t even allow them to have a voice.
Part of this problem relates to the overwhelmingly male presence in power positions. Women only make up 20 percent of the state legislators in Sacramento. The balance is further skewed by the number of male legislative aides, lobbyists, and interns.
The legislature is responding with a proposed review of the longstanding disciplinary system. Currently, two separate committees in both Houses look into complaints. Numerous rules further complicate this burdensome system that ends up deterring women from coming forward.
State Senator Richard D. Roth (D-31st District) who has chaired the Senate Committee on Legislative Ethics proposed an independent ombudsman position to address this issue but his proposition was not accepted.
The chair of the California Democratic Party Women’s Caucus, Christine Pelosi, sees a necessity for an outside, third-party investigator and transparency. The current system provides neither and the public isn’t necessarily appris ed of sexual harassment charges brought against their representatives.
As a result, relatively few women come forward. In fact,the Assembly Rules Committee has only investigated one harassment charge this year. This lack of investigations is in no way indicative of a corresponding lack of harassment. Most cases end up in court, resulting in payouts with nondisclosure agreements.
With hope, the recent letter addressing the pervasive sexual harassment will bring attention to this issue. An outside attorney is looking at the legality of the procedures used to address charges and the Assembly will be holding public hearings on its policies.
The culture of sexual harassment and lack of recourse in the state capitol mirror that in other industries, from Hollywood to Silicon Valley and everywhere in between. Women fear retaliation or being branded as difficult, halting their career aspirations.
As with other sectors, one way to redress rampant sexual harassment is to include more women in positions of power, to change the boys club culture and to provide mentors for women as they enter their professions.
(Beth Cone Kramer is a Los Angeles writer and a CityWatch columnist.)
-cw
