State Placing Greater Emphasis On Identifying, Preventing Harassment

By Abrahm Hurt
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS —Gov. Eric Holcomb signed legislation to expand the state’s sexual harassment policies and include more government officials.

House Enacted Bill 1309 calls for at least one hour of sexual harassment prevention training for members of the General Assembly each year. Prior to the bill’s signing, Indiana lawmakers did not have to complete harassment prevention training even though it was a requirement for General Assembly employees.

The bill creates a four-person subcommittee from the legislative council of both chambers to create a policy on sexual harassment.

The legislation was amended in the Senate to allow each member of the subcommittee to appoint an additional individual to the group. Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, said he plans to name a female member of his caucus to serve.

Lanane authored an amendment that allows the committee to create a procedure to investigate claims of sexual harassment against a member of the General Assembly.

“My understanding of any sexual harassment policy, at a minimum, should also include the process for how to handle a complaint,” he said. “That wasn’t in there.”

Lanane said this bill was an example of partnership in the General Assembly.

“We all came together. There really wasn’t any controversy whatsoever,” he said. “We worked together to find as strong a bill as we possibly can.”

Holcomb also announced that all state agency heads will have to complete annual training for workplace harassment. Managers and supervisors at all levels will receive additional training, and all state employees will be required to take a computer-based training on an annual basis.

“Due to multiple and recent high-profile sexual and workplace harassment cases, we decided in this office to take another hard look at what our policy was currently and to reexamine what enhancements could, or should, be done,” Holcomb said at the bill signing. “Because of that, we decided there is just absolutely no room for any harassment in the workplace, period, and we would go to any length necessary to make sure that that message got sent.”

Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush joined Holcomb at the signing to announce changes to strengthen harassment policies at the judicial level as well.

Rush said the judicial branch updated its policy and created an online complaint form for instances of sexual harassment. She stressed the curriculum to prevent harassment will emphasize civility to all who participate in the training.

“It’s a good day for Indiana,” she said. “All three branches of government coming together saying they’re not going to tolerate sexual harassment.”

FOOTNOTE: Abrahm Hurt is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.