State agencies fielded hundreds of sexual misconduct complaints

HARRISBURG » Pennsylvania state government agencies fielded 339 reports of alleged sexual harassment over a recent five-year period, according to data released Tuesday.

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration provided the breakdown for agencies under his jurisdiction to The Associated Press in response to a Right-to-Know Law request, as two state government officials resigned amid allegations by women of misconduct in the workplace.

A running total compiled by the AP indicates the cost to settle claims and investigate complaints over the past eight years is well into hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Of the departments with the largest number of complaints, the Corrections Department said it had 91 sexual harassment reports over the five years that ended June 30. The Human Services Department had 58 reports, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board 60 and the state police 34 over that same period.

That total state workforce under Wolf’s jurisdiction is some 73,000 people.

The administration produced the figures, but did not provide any details about the reports, and said it was still collecting information about sexual harassment lawsuits and settlements. The Office of Administration said a follow-up response on those aspects would take a few more weeks.

“The administration is working on an in-depth review of complaints,” said Wolf spokesman J.J. Abbott, including “the nature of the complaint and how it was handled.”