Haphazard system for handling complaints leaves victims disillusioned, state in the dark about extent of the problem, an AJC investigation finds.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution sought records under the Georgia Open Records Act from nearly 30 state departments and agencies regarding sexual harassment complaints in the past five years.

Over the course of eight months, the newspaper collected and read more than 20,000 pages of documents from 17 agencies. The AJC also sought and obtained data from the state Department of Administrative Services regarding harassment and sexual harassment cases reported to it by other state agencies. Reporters then entered information about each case into a spreadsheet, recording a summary, the names of the people involved, the dates and the case outcomes. The spreadsheet allowed the AJC to track trends across agencies, each of which adjudicates its own cases.

Reporters contacted several current and former state employees who reported being victims of sexual harassment. Many were unwilling to talk on the record, citing embarrassment and fear of retaliation. The newspaper has chosen not to identify the purported victims of harassment without their consent.

The AJC also made repeated attempts to contact those accused of sexual harassment, as well as agency officials responsible for looking into complaints.

The newspaper is continuing to negotiate with several agencies regarding production of their records. Some offered to provide the records only at substantial cost. The AJC has so far paid or committed to paying more than $6,600 to acquire harassment-related records.