Moore resigned in December, as it became apparent that the House of Representatives Ethics Committee would be investigating sexual harassment claims against Moore. Moore stated that he was ill and denied having any prior knowledge of the allegations. Philip Gunn, Speaker of the House, confirmed that Moore would have been investigated if he had not resigned. “Mr. Moore had two options. “He could either retire or continue with an investigation,” Gunn said to students of the University of Mississippi Meek School of Journalism & New Media. The investigation was not necessary because of his retirement. “So I don’t know what that would have looked like.” Mississippi Senate members gave differing answers to questions about the protocol for dealing with sexual harassment. At least one senator didn’t know how his chamber would handle such claims. Moore’s resignation Moore resigned Dec. 8. According to Mississippi Today Moore claimed that he didn’t know about the allegations of sexual harassment. In an interview with The Clarion Ledger, he stated that he was “blindsided” by the allegations hearing them after he resigned. Gunn acknowledged that Moore was subject to the allegations, but he has not provided any details. Some Moore’s colleagues also said they were unaware of the details. Moore friend Rep. Becky Currie (R-Brookhaven) said that none of us knew the truth of the allegations and she is not certain I would like to. According to the Associated Press, Moore underwent heart bypass surgery in 2017. According to AP, 14 lawmakers in 10 states have resigned since the beginning of 2017, after being accused of sexual harassment and misconduct. Other repercussions include the forced or voluntary removal from leadership positions in legislative bodies, at least 16 others from more than a dozen other states. Procedural Conffusion Gunn claims that the Moore investigation was conducted by members the House Ethics Committee. None of them responded to Gunn’s request for interviews. Currie said, “I believe it would work sort of like a case in court.” Currie said that they would have to talk to both parties, examine the evidence and then make a decision. In 2013, the House released a policy statement to combat harassment and discrimination. This statement defines sexual harassment in the House and mandates that corrective actions be taken if it is violated. The AP found that at least one state’s legislative chamber had updated its sexual harassment policy in the last three quarters of states. They also provided specific suggestions or conducted a review to determine if any changes were necessary. It is not among those chambers and the protocol for dealing with sexual harassment issues in Mississippi is still a mystery. J.P. Wilemon (D-Belmont) said, “I think it would be handled in the same manner but I don’t really know.” “Any report of sexual harassment would definitely go through the Lieutenant Governor’s office,” stated Sen. Sally Doty (R-Brookhaven). When asked about the process, the Lieutenant Governor’s Office gave mixed answers. “Senator Burton would address these issues,” Lt. Governor. Tate Reeves answered when asked how he would handle a situation similar to that of Representative John Moore. When asked by Reeves’s Director for Communication Laura Hipp if there is a Senate harassment policy similar to that of the House, Hipp said the Senate only has efforts this year to educate its members about sexual harassment and not any existing procedures to handle claims. “The Senate and House govern themselves. Hipp stated that the Rules Committee has required staff training and that senators should also take it. The Chairman of the Rules Committee, Terry Burton, R-Newton’s President Pro Tempore, explained how he would conduct an investigation. He said, “It is hard to know, since this all conjecture.” Burton stated that if they found the allegations to be true, they would recommend that the individual contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. According to the EEOC website, workers can file a claim with them individually if they are not given corrective action by their superiors. When asked if the Senate Rules Committee would have gone through with an investigation even after an accused senator has resigned, similar to Moore’s situation, Burton said “it would depend on the strength of the allegations” to “justify further investigation.”

The Rules Committee and Burton sent an email to the first week in the 2018 legislative session recommending that senators view a 30-minute video on sexual harassment training. The same video was required to be viewed by all state employees under Gov. Phil Bryant’s Executive Order 1292 was more than one year ago. In the second week, Sen. Wilemon stated that “we really haven’t received any training.” Sen. Wilemon stated, “I have not seen the video yet.” She was referring to the recommended video. She also said that she has not yet watched it. It is up to each senator to view the video. There are no safeguards in place to ensure that the training is complete. Burton stated that he does not have the power to direct them to do anything. “These individuals have been elected autonomously.” Paul Ryan, the Speaker of U.S. House of Representatives, announced in November that all elected members and staff would need anti-harassment training. On Jan. 4, legislators in Mississippi received over an hour of training on the floor. According to Currie, the session was mandatory and led by Timothy Lindsay, a lawyer. Lindsay was appointed to investigate Moore’s matter before he resigned. Currie stated that it was a very basic training. Currie said, “What legal issues can arise? What may be offensive that you aren’t aware of?” These include not sending inappropriate emails or saying anything offhand.

Capitol Culture Some Mississippi legislators described a difficult work environment for women while one veteran male legislator denied that there was any sexual harassment in his chamber. You know that some of the older gentlemen will give you a “honey”, every now and then. Doty stated that you just need to manage it. Currie stated, “I deal with it often with joking. I go right back at them.” “This has been a man’s world for a long while and it still is.” Burton described the work environment differently. “I have been in the Senate 27 years, and I’ve never received a complaint. He said that he doesn’t believe sexual harassment is occurring. It happens here and it happens in Hollywood. So it’s happening at your local Walmart. Currie stated that it is happening all over the world. A Legislative Approach To Settlements Although there has been little progress in policy and awareness regarding sexual harassment, some legislators are directly dealing with the issue of who would be responsible to pay victims and accusers. Mississippi legislators have now introduced nearly 1,000 bills in the House, and over 300 in the Senate in just a few weeks. Currie’s House Bill417 is one of those bills. Currie filed the piece of legislation regarding sexual harassment last year, but it didn’t progress. She stated that she believes it has a good chance of passing this time. HB 417 was created in response to two sexual harassment suits against the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, which were settled for $25,000 each and $75,000 respectively on the state’s behalf. My bill states that if you are convicted for sexual harassment, the taxpayers won’t pay your bill. Currie stated that you’ll be responsible for it. Gov. Bryant’s Executive Order No. 1392 was also issued in response to these lawsuits. Currie’s bill is similar to the efforts of U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper in Washington to reform the Congressional Accountability Act. According to the New York Times the U.S. House of Representatives spent $115,000 to settle three claims of sexual harassment between 2008 and 2012. Harper and Currie want to hold the guilty parties accountable for sexual harassment claims.