A lawsuit filed today by a former Iowa Republican Senate caucus employee alleges she was fired last year after she repeatedly complained of sexual harassment by her male colleagues against female Senate staff members.
The suit includes an allegation that Republican state Sens. Joni Ernst of Red Oak and Sandra Greiner of Keota witnessed sexual innuendo and inappropriate behavior exhibited by their male colleagues, but said nothing while female staffers stood by unable object.
Bonnie Campbell, former Iowa Attorney General, issued the following statement questioning Ernst’s judgment and criticizing her failure to act:
“Joni Ernst and her campaign should stop trying to impugn the motives of the victim and come forward with the details of what she saw, and why she didn’t stop it if she saw something. The facts are clear — either Joni Ernst is accusing the victim of lying, or Joni Ernst is refusing to tell us the truth about the facts of this case. If true, this is an outrageous and troubling fact we have just learned about Ernst.”“The more we know about Joni Ernst, the more it raises serious questions about who she is, and who she will stand up for in the U.S. Senate. This puts into question her judgment, her background, and who she would actually fight for in the Senate — because if it is anything like we have learned today, it won’t be the everyday Iowans who sometimes need a voice to speak up for them.”
Background:
Des Moines Register: Iowa Senate GOP Accused of Sexual Harassment
“The suit includes an allegation that Republican state Sens. Joni Ernst of Red Oak and Sandra Greiner of Keota witnessed sexual innuendo and inappropriate behavior exhibited by their male colleagues but said nothing while female staffers stood by unable object.”
