Iowa Senate GOP Aide: I Was Fired After Protesting Sexual Harassment

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

IGOR BOBIC 11:08 AM EDT, MONDAY MAY 20, 2013

A communications director for Iowa's Senate Republican Caucus was fired on Friday, in what she claims as retaliation for protesting sexual harassment by male legislators and staff members seven hours earlier.

“When you go to the workplace, you should have a safe environment," Kirsten Anderson, the former staffer, told WHO-TV. "Women especially should not have their body parts scrutinized, objectified. People should not be ridiculed or mocked for simply the color of their pants that they are wearing, and those sorts of things were taking place at the Capitol."

A top aide to Senate Republican Leader Bill Dix strongly denied the allegations, according to the Des Moines Register, maintining that Anderson was dismissed after she failed to improve her performance. “She was given an opportunity to improve her work performance and it did not improve,” Ed Failor Jr. said.

Anderson did not provide names of lawmakers who were involved in the alleged conduct, but said that it was “extremely inappropriate and constituents would not be happy that their legislators were saying these things.”

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Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/iowa-senate-gop-aide-i-was-fired-after

[Iliyah]

1. Ya'know I feel for you, seriously

but you belong to a party of ignorant assholes both male and female who don't give a shit about women, their rights nor their body. I just read that a repig in VA now want women to report to the police about their painful miscarriages (I know I had one) to the police OR go to jail. WTF

[spooky3]

2. Document it, file a formal charge, and change your party affiliation.

That last step will not guarantee you will avoid SH on an individual level, but at least the party's policies are more supportive of working women and men.

[EC]

3. "Constituents would not be happy that

their legislators were saying these things." Seriously? Look at what the republican party is now a days. Anyone that is still a republican endorses this behavior rather they know it or not by voting for these creeps just because they have a R by their name. WAKE THE HELL UP.

[hrmjustin]

4. Gop Family Values for you.

[aggiesal]

5. A Woman working for the GOP . . .

Really?
What did she expect
[font color=RED]... with her forceful attitude, something that’s not normally accustomed– that you don’t hear from women as much ... ? [/font]

The GOP (Greedy One Percent) doesn't care about women!!!

[Dustlawyer]

9. What was her reaction to the treatment received by the law student who testified to her

friends need for government paid contraception in the wake of Planned Parenthood attacks? I cannot recall the name and I should be able too. Women across the board as well as some of us guys were shocked and angry with Rush Limpballs when he called her a whore and a slut and mis characterized her testimony to the point of saying the she was asking for the birth control herself to go on a sex binge or something. No one should receive that type of criticism, even Repug women, but I do wonder that her complaints came out right before her evaluation and subsequent firing. Chicken and the egg problem, was she fired for the complaints, or did she make the complaints b/c she thought she would be fired. Apparently, they have been making these comments for awhile.

[freshwest]

12. Sandra Fluke; and what they've been saying about Hillary and Chelsea for women should've put her off

Not to mention the GOP darling, Ann Coulter who says women shouldn't be allowed vote. Guess she didn't object to all of the anti-female legislation, rape apologia, nor the attack on poor women from the GOP. Lay down with dogs and get fleas...

[Divernan]

6. Did previous job evaluations document substandard performance? Doubt it.

Standard to justify firing is to point out shortcomings at annual job review and provide specific changes to be made. She had excellent credentials. See this article from Des Moines register, plus comments following it. Plus, from the photo, she's a very attractive blonde - just the sort sexist pigs like to harass.

Anderson, 34, had worked for the Iowa Senate GOP Caucus since 2008, and been the caucus communications director during the 2013 session. She had previously worked for nearly two years as a staff assistant to former U.S. Sen. Christopher Bond, a Missouri Republican, and worked for five years as executive director of the Iowa Architectural Foundation.

Anderson could not be reached for comment by the Des Moines Register on Sunday. She told WHO-TV she went to her Statehouse office on Friday and provided documentation of problems with sexual harassment. “I asked leadership and staff to work with me on changing the workplace environment and seven hours later I was fired,”she added.

Asked specifically what remarks were made toward her and other women, Anderson replied, “Things that would make you blush. Things that you don’t want your daughter, your mother, your sister, having to put up with.”

The former Republican staffer said sexual harassment had been a problem in the Senate Republican Caucus even before she had started working at the Statehouse. She said she had previously brought up the issue through the chain of command in the caucus staff “and nothing was done.”
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2013/05/19/iowa-senate-gop-staffer-claims-she-was-fired-for-protesting-sexual-harassment-dix-aide-issues-strong-denial/article

[valerief]

7. Duh. She's friggin' Republican. That's synonymous with asshole. nt

[SharonAnn]

10. She's Republican but wants Democratic policies? LIke my neighbors who

vote GOP and then want Democratic Party policies.

[progressoid]

8. Sorry Kristen,

Sorry this happened to you.

And sorry if you expected justice from your GOP bosses.

[JDPriestly]

11. Being the object of sexual harassment lowers a woman's (or man's) morale and trust in her or his

co-workers. That causes the worker's performance to decline. It's kind of a set-up. You don't feel comfortable or accepted or respected at work and so you get depressed and can't do your best.

Same for other forms of discrimination. If you are an older worker working with young workers who make remarks about how older people should quit or aren't as competent as they are, etc., it affects how well you can fit in and perform. Same for race and ethnicity when they become an issue in the workplace.

[freshwest]

13. '...failed to improve her performance...' in dressing sexy, giving sex, or what? I'll never forget

that CA representative who was diddling an lobbyist and others found out about it. What a nasty crew she ran with, anyway.