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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 10, 2018)
PAGE A2, KEIZERTIMES, AUGUST 10, 2018 Capitol harassment complaint embroils former Keizer mayor By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes A harassment complaint fi led against the entirety of the Oregon Legislative Assem- bly, Legislative Administrative Committee and a former state senator also alleges that former Keizer Mayor Lore Christo- pher contributed to “gener- ally hostile environment based upon sex” at the Capitol. The complaint was lodged by Oregon Labor Commis- sioner Brad Avakian, the head of the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), with the agency he leads. The com- plaint, which stems from ac- tions by a now-resigned sena- tor as well as other employees, states incidents included “but were not limited multiple in- dividuals in the Capitol to un- welcome conduct of a sexual nature.” Those subjected to the hostile climate fostered by the legislature and its employees included legislators, employees, lobbyists, and student interns according to the complaint dated Aug. 1. Christopher, who is direc- tor of human resources at the Capitol is cited by name in several places throughout the eight-page complaint. “I will absolutely partici- pate in the investigation of the BOLI complaint but will not release the identities of any of the courageous women and men who have participated in any of these investigations and provided information to me,” Christopher said when reached by email. “A true cul- ture change relies on receiving information about miscon- duct. Information cannot be forthcoming without an envi- ronment of trust and confi den- tiality.” She added that ensuring confi dentiality is essential to ensuring victims do come for- ward and “I will not be a part of any harm caused to indi- viduals who were seeking to do the right thing by reporting misconduct.” The centerpiece of the complaint are allegations – dating back to 1996 – against Jeff Kruse, who resigned earlier this year in the wake of more recent harassment allegations from fellow legislators. How- ever, Christopher had a more central role in other aspects of the complaint. In April 2017, the complaint alleges one employee confi ded in Christopher and Legislative Counsel Dexter Johnson that a male intern had previously sexually assaulted her and one of her acquaintances prior to his employment at the Capi- tol and then inquired about SUBSCRIBE her current sexual relation- ship during his time as an in- tern. Recommendations from an investigation conducted by Christopher included caution- ing the victim “about talking with anyone regarding this complaint … as additional conversation or actions outside of the investigation could be construed as retaliatory.” The alleged harasser’s in- ternship was near its end and the victim was told she would be notifi ed if he was ever hired at the Capitol again. About a year later, the victim found out the harasser had been hired by the Capitol, but was never in- formed by the human resourc- es department. While Christopher isn’t named in many of the specifi c incidents regarding Kruse, it is implied that inaction by hu- man resources employees was one of the reasons that it con- tinued for years. Conversely, despite repeated complaints about harassing ac- tions by Kruse, remediation attempts went unheeded by Kruse which culminated in a letter being sent by Senate President Peter Courtney to Kruse in October 2017, which read, “I was made aware that your behavior toward women in the workplace has also gone unchanged. You were instruct- ed in March of this year by Lore Christopher, Employee Services Manager, and Dexter Johnson, Legislative Counsel, that you were not to touch women at work. Period.” When Avakian tried to reach out to two student in- terns and a lobbyist to notify them of their rights in light of the climate at the Capitol, em- ployees reneged on promises to forward letters to the victims. Eventually, Avakian was able to contact the students through their schools. “The respondents have de- nied multiple individuals full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities and privi- leges of the Capitol based on their sex,” the complaint con- cludes. Avakian announced he will be leaving BOLI in Janu- ary 2019. Investigations of the magnitude suggested by the complaint will likely take months and it will likely fall to Avakian’s successor, Val Hoyle, to determine how and wheth- er it proceeds. Hoyle is a former mem- ber of the Oregon House of Representatives who won the race to be Oregon’s next labor commissioner with 52 percent of the vote in May. Christopher is currently a member of the Keizer Public Arts Commission. Pitching in KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald Novah Poteet assists his grandmother, Melissa Poteet, in a clean-up effort at Bair Park Saturday, Aug. 4. The project was organized by Farmers Insurance agent Mathew Poteet. Advantage Heating honored Advantage Heating and Air Conditioning was recently honored by Ruud, a water heater manufacturer, at Ruud’s Top Pro Partner awards dinner and reception in Washington, D.C. 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