After Rep. Teresa Tanzi in October disclosed she had been told "sexual favors would allow my bills to go further," House and Senate leaders ordered training for legislators and staff.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Lawmakers, for the first time, are being asked to attend sexual harassment training following accusations of sexual misconduct on Smith Hill.
Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello encourages all members of his chamber to attend the 2.5 hour training in the House Lounge following Wednesday’s session.
Larry Berman, a spokesman for Mattiello, said in November the training in discrimination, sexual harassment, and diversity was for “all House members and General Assembly staff.
On Wednesday it was made clear that lawmakers, however, are not required to attend training - only Joint Committee on Legislative Services employees. This includes: “All House, Senate, and joint House-Senate office employees – this includes JCLS (business office), Auditor General, Capitol TV, Internship Program, Law Revision, Legislative Council, Legislative Data and Legislative Press,” Berman wrote in an email.
Elected officials are constitutional officers, Berman said.
Cheryl Burrell of the Department of Administration’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Opportunity will lead the training. Other sessions have been scheduled for Jan. 12, 19, 26 and 29, and Feb. 2, Berman said.
In October state Rep. Teresa Tanzi told The Providence Journal: “As a state representative ... I have been told sexual favors would allow my bills to go further.”
The South Kingstown Democrat declined to name the person involved, but said the harasser was “not someone who was my equal ... it was someone who had a higher-ranking position.”
Mattiello spoke to Tanzi following the disclosure, and they released a joint statement and a skeletal plan for moving forward.
Mattiello ordered sexual harassment training for House members and staff and wrote that he expects: “all Representatives and employees to conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with a safe, respectful and productive workplace environment.”
Tanzi will head a commission studying issues of workplace harassment and assault.
“I know this will not be changed in a day, or even a year, but the willingness of the House leadership to tackle this head-on gives me confidence that the chance I took in disclosing my experiences will result in significant change,” Tanzi wrote in the statement.
Her colleagues had varied reactions to Tanzi’s story. Some like Rep. Edith Ajello, first elected in 1992, said she had heard “too many” female lawmakers, staffers, and lobbyist tell stories of sexual harassment to be surprised. One incident, she said, was as recent as June.
Others like Rep. Marvin Abney, D-Newport, who chairs the House Finance Committee, where Tanzi is the second vice chair, said he was: “shocked and dismayed.” Rep. Patricia Serpa, D-West Warwick, and Rep. Deb Ruggiero, D-Jamestown, who chair the Oversight and Small Business committees, respectively, both said they had never experienced harassment at the State House.
House Minority Leader Patricia Morgan, who is running for governor, said: “I have have no knowledge of it.”
“I know it does not happen at all in our caucus. I can’t answer for the other side of the aisle,” said the West Warwick Republican.
The Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights will offer training for senators next week, spokesman Greg Pare said. This is also the first time the Senate has offered such a training.