Mass. Senate leader’s spouse accused of sexual assault
BOSTON — Democratic Senate President Stan Rosenberg said Thursday he was taking seriously a report that his husband sexually assaulted and harassed several men, including some with business before the Legislature.
The Boston Globe reported it spoke with four men who said Bryon Hefner sexually assaulted and harassed them over the past few years.
Three of the men told the Globe that Hefner grabbed their genitals and one said Hefner kissed him against his will. The Globe said it found no evidence Rosenberg knew about the alleged assaults.
Hefner said in a statement to the Globe through his lawyer that he was "shocked to learn of these anonymous and hurtful allegations."
"To my knowledge, no one has complained to me or any political or governmental authority about these allegations which are now surfacing years afterward," Hefner, 30, said in the statement. "As one can imagine, it is incredibly difficult to respond to allegations by unnamed and unidentified individuals that involve an extended period of time, particularly in the current environment."
Rosenberg, 68, a state senator since 1991, assumed the top leadership post in January 2015. He is the first openly gay leader of either legislative chamber in Massachusetts.
Shortly before his election as president, Rosenberg responded to reports that Hefner, his then domestic partner, had used social media to boast of his influence in Senate affairs.
In a December 2014 letter to 33 Democratic senators, Rosenberg vowed to create a "firewall" between his per- sonal and professional life.
In a statement issued by his office Thursday, Rosenberg said the allegations published by the Globe marked the first time he heard about the claims and that he takes them seriously.
"Even though, based on what little I have been told, these allegations do not involve members or employees of the Senate and did not occur in the State House, I take them seriously," Rosenberg said. "To the best of my recollection I was not approached by anyone with complaints during or after the alleged incidents made in this article or I would have tried to intervene."
The Globe said the four men felt powerless to report the incidents because they feared alienating Rosenberg, believing Hefner had tremendous sway with the Senate leader. The paper said it granted the four men anonymity because they must still work with Rosenberg, and interact with Hefner.