UPDATED: Former Aides Accuse Dem Rep. Of Ignoring Complaints About Top Staffer
Last edited Tue Nov 7, 2017, 06:35 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: Talking Points Memo
By CAITLIN MACNEAL Published NOVEMBER 7, 2017 9:55 AM
Three former aides to Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) told Politico that the congresswoman ignored complaints from them about her chief of staff’s treatment of women.
The three unnamed ex-staffers, who are all women, told Politico that they did not use the term “sexual harassment” when speaking to Lawrence about their concerns, but said that they told the congresswoman that women in the office were not comfortable around Dwayne Duron Marshall and that he treated women differently than he did male staffers. One aide told Politico that she told the congresswoman about “inappropriate” comments and physical contact from Marshall. The aides said that Marshall often commented on female staffers’ appearance, and one aide said that Marshall would come up behind her and start rubbing her shoulders, per Politico.
Lawrence denied to Politico that she received any sexual harassment complaints, but she said that she did attempt to address concerns about “management-style issues” with “individual personnel actions.”
“I want to be very clear, very firm, that I had no knowledge of any allegations of sexual harassment in my office, and when I say none, I mean none,” Lawrence told Politico. “I have had individual conversations with some of my employees when they had exit interviews. I’ve had one-on-ones and we have discussed things in the office that they felt we could do better. I have implemented training and other positive forms of correction. … But I have not, and I want to be very clear, have not ever, had an employee — former or present — talk to me about sexual harassment in my office.”
Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/former-staffers-complaints-brenda-lawrence-chief-staff
UPDATE:
Congresswoman suspends top aide amid harassment claims
BY MAX GREENWOOD - 11/07/17 05:07 PM EST
Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) has put her chief of staff on administrative leave amid allegations from multiple former staffers that he sexually harassed them, The Detroit News reported Tuesday. The move came after Politico reported that three female former aides for Lawrence said they told the congresswoman about Dwayne Duron Marshall's inappropriate behavior toward women. Two of those staffers said Marshall was the reason they left Lawrence's office.
According to The Detroit News, Lawrence said she is investigating the matter and would have done so earlier had the allegations been brought to her attention. But, she said, "none of the concerns brought to my attention involved allegations of sexual harassment.”
“As in any office environment, there have been occasions when employees have brought workplace concerns to my attention and those concerns were promptly addressed,” Lawrence said in a statement to The Detroit News.
“Had I been made aware of any concerns about sexual harassment in my office, those concerns would have been promptly investigated and appropriate disciplinary action taken, including termination of employment of any individual engaged in sexually harassing behavior.”
more
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/359207-congresswoman-suspends-top-aide-amid-harassment-claims
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