Welcome to my home State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
Rhode Island lawmakers are undergoing anti-sexual harassment training after a female lawmaker alleged she was told she could get legislations passed if she slept with the right people.
The training seemed to go well, with one exception.
One of the male Democrat lawmakers is accused of making sexually harassing comments during the training. He says he was misunderstood because of his heavy accent.
News 10 reports:
Instead of satisfying concerns about sexual harassment, a training session for Rhode Island lawmakers may have raised more controversy.The training on Wednesday was the same that is given to state workers, and it included diversity training as well as how to act with members of the opposite sex.Most of the representatives attended, including Teresa Tanzi, who brought the issue to light in October when she told the Providence Journal that she’d been told sexual favors might get her bills passed.During the training, at a moment when the instructor was talking about asking for sexual favors at work, state Rep. Ramon Perez of Providence is quoted in the Journal as saying, “How do you do that?”State Rep. Moira Walsh, a Providence Democrat, said she was offended by the question.”I’m deeply disappointed and am seeking the help of my leadership team in determining, how to proceed,” Walsh told NBC 10 News.Perez said in a statement Thursday that he has a heavy accent and that he was misunderstood.
GoLocalProv adds:
Rhode Island State Representative Ramon Perez is being accused of inappropriate behavior during sexual harassment training by fellow State Representative Moira Walsh on Wednesday night.”Sexual harassment training at the state house went really well. Well, except for the male colleague, who when it was explained that it was abhorrent to ask for sexual favors, piped up to say, “How do you do that exactly?” said Walsh about the comments by Perez. Walsh confirmed to GoLocalProv that it was Ramon Perez. “It’s all on camera. I’m both disgusted and disappointed,” said Walsh.
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