The Post Editorial Blame belongs to Lebsock alone
Rep. Steve Lebsock is trying to distract the public from multiple complaints that he made overt and aggressive sexual advances, often in a professional setting, that if true cross the line of appropriate behavior in the workplace.
Coloradans shouldn’t be diverted from focusing on the underlying issue here. Lebsock is very much a public official, subject to scrutiny for his behavior because of the power granted him. Three women have come forward to The Denver Post and named Lebsock as a source of sexual harassment in the General Assembly. Others have shared their stories anonymously.
We concluded Lebsock would best serve his constituents if he, and this scandal enveloping him, did not return for the 2018 legislative session.
Sadly, now this scandal is enveloping others.
The Aurora Sentinel has called on House Speaker Crisanta Duran to resign over how she handled a complaint against Lebsock in 2016. And Republican legislative leaders are asking for an investigation into whether Duran and other Democratic leaders tried to cover up the fellow Democrat’s alleged bad behavior.
We think such demands are misplaced. Duran isn’t responsible for the behavior of an elected representative who works for his constituents. That falls on Lebsock.
Duran was the House majority leader when Rep. Faith Winter privately expressed concerns to House leadership about Lebsock’s behavior at a party in May 2016. Winter said Lebsock talked about sex acts they could perform on each other and suggested they leave together. Winter said Lebsock became aggressive when she declined.
Winter approached Democratic leadership, including then-Speaker Dickey Lee Hullinghorst and Duran.
Despite Winter’s complaint, Duran appointed Lebsock as chair of a committee for the next legislative session, raising legitimate questions about such a promotion when Duran was aware of an incident that could have been worthy of disciplinary action. It’s also likely Duran and others had heard rumors about Lebsock’s propensity for sexual advances that were circulating around the Capitol from other women who worked with Lebsock.
Duran’s response is compelling. She told The Post that she was trying to support “the right of a victim to decide how they want these personal and sensitive situations to be handled.”
Duran felt the issue had been resolved to the victim’s satisfaction. Winter also says she was satisfied with how the incident was handled, noting Lebsock agreed not to drink at legislative events and to seek counseling. She said she came forward only after she learned this month of other complaints about Lebsock.
We’d like to think if subsequent complaints had been brought forward to Duran, she would have acted to discipline her colleague. While we can’t say for sure that would have occurred, Duran certainly took the very first news article about Lebsock seriously, calling for his resignation and removing him as chair of the committee.
Duran has also pledged to review the policy for reviewing sexual harassment complaints that come to her office.
It doesn’t appear Duran was involved in any kind of a cover-up to protect Lebsock, but was rather part of a mediation to try and resolve a conflict and move forward.