Citing Roy Moore, Arizona lawmakers discuss 'cutoff date' for sexual-harassment complaints

When it comes to sexual harassment and inappropriate workplace behavior, some Arizona lawmakers say there should be a time limit for people to file a complaint — and they cite the experience of Alabama Judge Roy Moore, who faced accusations of pursuing teenage girls.

That argument emerged Tuesday as members of the House of Representatives attended a mandatory training session on the chamber's ethics and personnel policy.

House Speaker J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, required the training for all state representatives after accusations of sexual-harassment and misconduct rocked the chamber in recent months.

During the training, which fell on the second day of the legislative session, legal and human-resource experts briefed lawmakers on what might constitute harassment or discrimination under the law and explained best practices.

But about halfway through, Rep. Don Shooter, R-Yuma, questioned whether the House's ethics policy should have a "statute of limitations" that requires accusers to come forward with complaints within a certain time frame, potentially six months.

Shooter, who has been accused of harassment by multiple women, cited allegations against Moore, who last month lost his bid for the U.S. Senate after he was accused of pursuing sexual relationships with underage girls decades earlier, when he was in his 30s.

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"There has to be some concrete cutoff date," Shooter said. "Because otherwise, how are you going to put it behind you? Like in the case of Roy Moore, 40 years later someone comes forward."

Shooter is under investigation by the Arizona House of Representatives after seven women publicly accused him of inappropriate behavior, including making sexually charged comments, touching them inappropriately or making unwanted sexual advances.

Earlier in the training session, Shooter apologized for his behavior, though he said some complaints against him were false or were made for "a personal or political vendetta." His accusers include three fellow lawmakers.

READ MORE: Shooter apologizes for behavior following harassment claims

Several GOP lawmakers agreed with Shooter's suggestion of including a time limit for filing complaints in the House's policy. Rep. Noel Campbell, R-Prescott, said such limitations help protect reputations from being damaged by false accusations.

Mesnard interjected to say that the House policy is different than criminal laws, where statutes of limitation typically apply. He didn't rule out the idea of imposing time limits for complaints, though he said the policy is intended to hold lawmakers to a high standard.

"Let me be clear, there is nothing in here that allows me to throw anyone of you into prison," Mesnard said. "A lot of this is discretionary."

But the prospect of putting reporting time limits on potential victims of harassment or workplace discrimination drew swift opposition from several Democratic lawmakers, along with Rep. Heather Carter, R-Scottsdale.

Minority Whip Charlene Fernandez, D-Yuma, said she was "stunned" to hear lawmakers cite accusations against Moore while arguing about the need for a statute of limitations.

"We're blaming people," Fernandez said. "I thought we were here to resolve, to have a solution, to come together."

Rep. Reginald Bolding, D-Phoenix, said because the policy governs alleged instances of harassment between fellow lawmakers, someone may not want to make a complaint immediately out of fear of political retaliation.

He said lawmakers should focus on protecting victims of harassment, not the accused.

"You should be afraid that you have committed an act of harassment and that could come back and bite you," Bolding said. "The fact of matter is you never should have harassed them in the first place."

Mesnard ultimately asked lawmakers to move on from the time-frame question, though he said he was open to discussing it further with them outside of the training. The House is expected to hold a second ethics-training meeting on Jan. 18.

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