Cockroft Defends Privacy Rules for Sexual Harassment Committee Investigation

In light of two Democrats leaving the House Special Investigation Committee investigating claims of sexual harassment against House members, chairman Rep. Josh Cockroft is defending the decision to keep the meetings out of the public eye.

“The sole reason for holding these meetings in private is to protect the confidential information of victims and un-elected witnesses – not to protect lawmakers. In order to have a workplace where employees feel protected and valued, it is vital that we guard the privacy of those who make claims of harassment and discrimination. Allowing confidential information to become public would not only violate the trust of those claimants, but it would have a chilling effect that would discourage employees in the future from coming forward when they have been harassed or abused,” said Cockroft.

He also said they are following the example set by the federal agency which oversees sexual harassment claims in the workplace.

“In fact, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has produced guidance for state agencies to protect the confidentiality of claimants when harassment has been alleged. If our goal is to create an environment where sexual harassment, discrimination, abuse and misconduct are not tolerated, it is vital that we maintain the integrity of the process that encourages employees to make claims when they have been wronged.“

Rep. Will Fourkill also refused to appear before the committee, unless it was a public hearing.


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