Sexual harassment and the Capitol Village.

Nearly two decades ago, young women working at the Capitol were enduring inappropriate contact by an elected official. In conversations with each other, they discovered they were not alone in receiving unwanted physical attention. Retribution for stepping out of line has long been a fear of those with little power.

Those young women considered their limited options and turned to a woman who was a savvy Capitol veteran with sound instincts. She listened and acted by approaching a senior caucus employee who shared her dismay at the women’s complaints. The official was instructed to stop. He did.

That was an effective use of hard informal power at work in one instance. Sexual harassment takes many forms. When the target is one person, usually but not always a woman, it can be isolating by design. The victim may have no natural allies or may be afraid for her current job and career prospects.

The Capitol is based on imbalances of power. Elected officials are not subject to the same rules of conduct as others. The voters have the authority to fire them every two years but other than a primary or an election, they are not going to be removed from office. There is no formal code of personal behavior with penalties for personal transgressions. Not every caucus chief of staff takes the same view of reports of bad behavior. Fairness can be subordinated to partisan protection.

The legislature this short session is in the grip of speculation over alleged harassment of a caucus employee by a legislature. There is confusion over what a victim should do. Anyone who is the target of harassment should take their concerns to the Office of Legislative Management and file a complaint. It is the only way to be sure that a permanent record is created and shared with appropriate supervisors and leaders. Show a nonpartisan manager offending emails and text messages. Retribution becomes far more difficult.

The leaders of the legislature should consider a clear, formal independent structure for employees and to report misconduct. It ought include providing an advocate for employees. The power between actor and target is far out of balance.

The Capitol is a workplace that some mistake for a playground, a personal bazaar of predation with a smile on its face and lewd text messages on the fingertips of men who have shaken thousands of hands to get there.

While they are negotiating behind closed doors the details of this year’s budget, the men who are the legislature’s partisan caucus leaders ought to draft a statement reminding members and others with business at the Capitol that victims of harassment that they have rights and recourse when those rights are violated. And then they should give the draft to a woman from each caucus to work together to make it stronger.

No one should have to face a predator with a title alone. Light the way forward.

Published April 21, 2026.