Accused legislator refuses to speak to committee
State Rep. Will Fourkiller on Tuesday refused to appear before a special committee that is investigating a sexual harassment accusation against him.
Fourkiller, D-Stilwell, said he will only speak to the House committee if the proceeding is open to the public. The special investigation committee so far has been hearing from witnesses in closed sessions.
“Though uncertain of the precise allegation, I am certain I have nothing to hide,” Fourkiller, 44, told the committee chairman in a letter. “A confidential, closed-door proceeding does not provide the equitable forum to repair my character and reputation.”
The committee is investigating separate complaints made against Fourkiller and Rep. Dan Kirby, R-Tulsa. The committee began hearing witnesses Thursday.
The committee chairman, Rep. Josh Cockroft, R-Wanette, on Tuesday evening defended how the investigation is being conducted. He said making the committee meetings public would discourage wronged employees from coming forward in the future.
“The sole reason for holding these meetings in private is to protect the confidential information of victims and unelected witnesses — not to protect lawmakers,” Cockroft said. “In order to have a workplace where employees feel protected and valued, it is vital that we guard the privacy of those who make claims of harassment and discrimination.”
Fourkiller is accused of upsetting a high school page in April 2015. Fourkiller said last
week and again Tuesday that he was told he had made the page feel uncomfortable.
“That was the extent of what I was told,” Fourkiller said Tuesday of his 2015 meeting with a House attorney and an employee of the House chief clerk.
“The page was not identified and I did not inquire. I denied anything improper but immediately shied away from my normal interaction and role with the page program for that week out of an abundance of caution,” he said in a news release.
“Through all of this, my family and I are leaning on the only thing constant in our life: God,” Fourkiller also said. “We have not lost faith. In fact, it is growing stronger. We know that God is good and at the end of all this there is something great waiting for us.”
High school students come from across the state to serve as pages for a week at a time during the regular legislative session. Pages interact with legislators directly, sometimes running errands for them.
Kirby, 58, is expected to appear before the committee next week. He has said he was wrongly accused and looks forward to clearing his name.
The special committee was formed in response to public outrage over a settlement paid to a fired legislative assistant who had accused Kirby of sexual harassment.
The former assistant, Hollie Anne Bishop, complained the House fired her in November 2015 in retaliation for reporting Kirby had sexually harassed her. Former House Speaker Jeff Hickman approved the $44,500 settlement of her wrongful termination claim shortly before he left office.
Most of the outcry in the public centered on the use of public funds to pay the settlement. Hickman has said it was cheaper to settle the claim rather than fight it in court.
The special committee will make its findings public, the committee chairman said Jan. 10. The committee could recommend the House take disciplinary action against a member, including up to expulsion.
Six Republicans and three Democrats are on the committee. All the Republicans are participating in the investigation. Rep. David Perryman, D-Chickasha, and Rep. Steve Kouplen, D-Beggs, have refused to be involved because of the committee’s secrecy rules. Rep. Meloyde Blancett, D-Tulsa, also has decided not to attend.
“I served on a previous investigation with basically the same rules and nondisclosure agreement and did not believe it provided the transparency that was expected or deserved,” Kouplen said Tuesday.