The new policy dictates that employees must now file complaints with their direct supervisor, the Senate Chief of Staff or Senate President Joe Negron. | AP Photo/Steve Cannon Senate’s new sex harassment reporting policy comes under fire

TALLAHASSEE — Hundreds of Florida Senate employees will no longer be able to report sexual harassment allegations to the director of human resources for both the House and Senate chambers under a new policy that has angered staffers who say it will only make it harder for victims to come forward.

The new procedures were released internally to all Senate employees on Friday morning as part of an overhaul to the chamber’s Senate Administrative Policies and Procedures manual.


Previously, Senate employees could complain to their supervisor, the Senate President or the Director of Human Resources of the Office of Legislative Services, a joint agency controlled by the House and Senate in a building separate from the Capitol. The new policy dictates that employees must now file complaints with their direct supervisor, the Senate Chief of Staff or Senate President Joe Negron. In addition, while all complaints were previously routed to the joint agency's director of human resources for investigation — no matter who they were reported to — they are now all directed to Negron for investigation.

Senators and Senate staffers interviewed by POLITICO said the new policy limits the options alleged victims have in reporting what is a serious and sensitive workplace violation. Those who spoke to POLITICO did not want to go on the record for fear of retribution.

“Why take human resources off?” said one staff employee. “I think that further discourages people from complaining.”

Katie Betta, Negron’s spokeswoman, defended the new policy in an interview with POLITICO over the weekend.

“I don’t think removing HR from the policy is removing them from the process,” she said. “The update is a more direct reporting structure within the Senate. But, certainly, HR would be involved in any claim of sexual harassment.”

She chided staffers who aired disagreements about the new policy to the press.

“If any employee has a concern with any change to any Senate administrative policy, it would be appropriate to contact the appropriate chain of command within the Senate rather than the media,” she said.

On Sunday, Negron sent out an internal memo — obtained by POLITICO — to all senators and Senate Staff about the update. Senate employees, including legislators, total about 400 people.

“The Senate has absolutely zero tolerance for sexual and workplace harassment against any employee or visitor. As such, the updated Senate policies reflect streamlined options that advise employees to report such acts to their immediate supervisor, the Senate Chief of Staff, or the Senate President, based on your own judgment of the specific situation," according to the memo.

The memo continued: “Please be assured that any allegations of sexual or workplace harassment will be promptly and confidentially investigated. The safety of our employees and visitors is my chief concern. If at any time you are the victim of sexual or workplace harassment, or witness such acts against another employee or visitor, please do not hesitate to utilize the reporting options outlined in our policy, including contacting me directly.”

Legislators and staffers interviewed said going to the Senate Chief of Staff — a longtime aide to Negron — to raise sexual harassment or sexual misconduct allegations is fraught with issues because it’s the equivalent of complaining to Negron himself, who could have personal and political relationships with persons involved in a future complaint.

“It certainly narrows the scope of who you reach out to. How many people want to go to the president or chief of staff?” said one state senator. “There’s an added level of anonymity of going to HR.”

The joint agency's director of human resources works in a separate building outside the Senate and serves both the Senate and the House.

Another Senate staffer said the change in reporting sexual harassment allegation was reflective of an overall attitude by Negron’s administration to dictate its own set of rules.

“It’s pretty well known throughout the entire Senate that this administration is taking out key roles," said the staffer. "They’re making it about themselves versus how the Senate has always run. Taking out HR is not making it run more effectively.”

According to state House policy, which is not as restrictive as the Senate's, victims of alleged sexual harassment are directed to complain to their supervisor, the Director of House Administration, the General Counsel or the Speaker.

The new Senate policy marks the latest contention over Florida's part in a national debate swirling around power dynamics in the workplace. The debate exploded earlier this month when The New York Times detailed decades of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment allegations against Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. Some women have since accused him of raping them, a charge he has denied. Other victims of sexual harassment and assault have been posting the hashtag #MeToo in solidarity with others around the world in calling attention to the issue.

In Tallahassee, the new Senate policy is coincidentally being unveiled at a time when the state Senate is coming under heat for its handling of events leading up to Friday’s resignation by state Sen. Jeff Clemens (D-Atlantis). The legislator acknowledged and apologized for having an extramarital affair with a Broward County lobbyist. He got the help of state Sen. Jack Latvala (R-Clearwater) and Senate Minority Leader Oscar Braynon (D-Miami Gardens) to help deal with the situation last spring at the end of regular spring lawmaking session. None reported the incident to Negron’s office.

Following the revelations on Friday, House Speaker Richard Corcoran (R-Land O’Lakes) torched the Republican-led Senate for not taking action against Clemens and forming what he described as “a wall of silence” at the time they learned about it last spring. He suggested the senator’s behavior was not consensual and possibly amounted to sexual harassment.

“The facts here raise a very real question of sexual harassment,” said Corcoran. “I’m disappointed in the response of the senators who were aware of the situation. Rather than addressing the wrongdoing, they seem to have formed a wall of silence. An apology is not the same thing as accountability.”

In response to Corcoran, Negron, through his spokeswoman, said his office was unaware of any allegations of sexual harassment in connection with Clemens’ affair with the lobbyist.