With misconduct allegations rippling through all levels of government, Gov. Rick Scott has taken the prudent step of ordering uniform sexual harassment policies throughout state agencies. The executive order strengthens protections for victims, which is key to bringing bad behavior out of the shadows. Public agencies should be models of healthy workplaces, and Scott's action on sexual harassment is a good way for the state to start leading by example.
Scott said last week that state agencies have been handling sexual harassment complaints differently, and there is no valid reason for that. His order streamlines how complaints should be dealt with and requires training for new hires. According to Scott's order, new state employees should be given sexual harassment training within 30 days of starting their jobs and supervisors should get additional training. That's a smart approach.
Perhaps the strongest provision of the governor's order is the requirement that agencies designate a person other than an employee's supervisor to receive harassment complaints. This recognizes the reality that an employee could be harassed by a supervisor and provides a more comfortable, secure recourse. Scott's order also says complaints should be reviewed promptly, protecting the privacy of those involved, and that agencies should separate the parties while an investigation is ongoing. It applies to the 110,000 employees who work for departments under Scott's authority, including the prison system, health department and Department of Children and Families.
It does not apply to the Florida Legislature, which has fumbled its attempts to lay out clear sexual harassment reporting policies in the wake of several high-profile scandals. Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, showed remarkable blindness in standing by a policy that ultimately steers all complaints to his office regardless of where they were initially filed. Negron called it "pro-reporting." But forcing victims to bring their claims to the powerful leaders in the Legislature, where relationships among lawmakers are the most valuable currency, serves only to intimidate victims and discourage reporting.
Democratic candidates for governor next year reacted to Scott's announcement by vowing to do even more. Gwen Graham proposed appointing an ombudsman to receive complaints, and Chris King vowed to create a whole new agency, the Office of Victim Advocacy. More bureaucracy is not necessarily better, but as Scott's order is slim on specifics, Florida's next governor will certainly have the opportunity to improve on it.
State employees should be well served by uniform guidelines that allow harassment victims to come forward without fear and provide for complaints to be investigated fairly. As Scott said, "Everyone deserves to work in an environment that is safe and free from any form of harassment." The enhanced protections he is putting in place are a good step toward that objective.