Legislature can’t flinch on harassment

Making a strong stand on sexual harassment will help Connecticut’s economy... and its sagging reputation.

The issue: The Connecticut Legislature has wisely moved ahead in taking on the issue of sexual harassment, and not only in everybody else’s workplace, but in its own. Last month, as promised, the Legislature distributed an anonymous survey on sexual harassment to all lawmakers and staff who work at the Capitol.

And two bills are under consideration, each of which would dramatically expand requirements for education on and reporting of sexual harassment.

Business interests have raised legitimate questions about the cost of training. As experts have said, if you think the cost of training is steep, think about what a sexual harassment lawsuit might cost. One of them, or a combined version, must pass. The survey form was given to everyone at the Capitol, from legislators to interns to the press corps. Legislative leadership has promised to make the results public.

What we wrote: From Hollywood, to the media, to the corridors of Congress, bad gender-based behavior has left a slew of victims, generally women, with life-shattering, long-lasting wounds, and a tattered trail of offenders facing consequences ranging from ruined reputations to possible criminal charges.

But thanks to courageous women who came forward and ignited the #MeToo movement, those victims no longer need to feel engulfed in darkness of being alone.

The legislature is in the process of considering a bill called An Act Combatting Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault, which would establish a framework for dealing with the issue.

It includes defining categories of mandatory reporters, ranging from school and youth coaches, to social workers, to physicians and counselors and requiring both private employers and state agencies to activate policies for both education and penalties.

This is a bill — Judiciary Bill No. 132 — that should move unimpeded through the legislative process. Editorial, April 8, 2018

Where it stands: The bill referenced above, offered by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, has been joined by one introduced by state Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven.

Looney’s is more stringent in that his threshold for businesses required to participate in training is three employees or more. As mentioned, with Connecticut’s

economy struggling, critics say anything that further restricts business operation could cause some companies to close or move, and other to scratch Connecticut off their list of potential locations.

But a work environment made toxic by harassment is not good for business, either.

As things stand, businesses with 50 or more employees are required to provide sexual harassment training. Malloy’s bill would lower the threshold to 15, Looney’s to three.

The cost of the training is not a legitimate reason to oppose this effort. The state’s Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities offers free training.

The Connecticut Business and Industry Association charges $950 for a three-hour session and some private providers charge from $25 to $100 per person. Training also is available on line.

Legislators can work out the details. The issue is too important to ignore. Making a strong stand on sexual harassment will help Connecticut’s economy ... and its sagging reputation.