LOCALIZE IT: AP review finds dozens of sexual misconduct allegations in 44 states since #MeToo
By DAVID A. LIEB
Associated Press
EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS:
Since the #MeToo movement shined a spotlight on sexual misconduct by public figures, numerous state legislatures across the U.S. have taken steps to establish or strengthen sexual harassment policies governing the behavior of lawmakers and staff.
In the meantime, the number of female state lawmakers has reached new heights.
In some state capitols, lawmakers say the atmosphere has improved. Yet complaints of sexual misconduct persist, with at least several new allegations arising each year.
The Associated Press reviewed sexual harassment policies and procedures in all 99 state legislative chambers in a survey that spanned from November through January. The AP found that nearly all legislative chambers now have sexual harassment policies, but they vary in how often lawmakers receive training and how complaints are investigated.
The AP documented at least 147 allegations of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment against state lawmakers since 2017, plus a dozen allegations against top executive officials such as governors and attorneys general. More than one-third of all those accused have resigned or been expelled from office, and an additional third faced some sort of repercussion such as the loss of party or legislative committee leadership positions. A few were cleared following investigations.
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READ AND WATCH AP’S LATEST COVERAGE
12 dozen lawmakers accused in 8 years. Women in the statehouse weigh #MeToo’s impact
Takeaways from AP’s report on sexual misconduct in US statehouses
Video: Women hold more statehouse seats than ever. After #MeToo, some still feel unsafe
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FIND YOUR STATE: HARASSMENT POLICIES
The AP has created a spreadsheet detailing key aspects of sexual harassment policies and procedures in each state legislative chamber. This includes 49 state House or Assembly chambers and 50 state Senate chambers (Nebraska has just one legislative chamber).
The spreadsheet includes columns on whether a chamber has a sexual harassment policy and whether it has been updated in recent years. It also includes columns detailing how frequently training is provided to lawmakers regarding sexual harassment, the method of training and whether complaints are handled by outside investigators. This map shows the type and frequency of sexual harassment training given to state lawmakers. An embed code for the map and additional graphics are included at the end of the guide.
The AP also has compiled the written state legislative chamber policies, procedures and rules about sexual harassment. Some state legislatures have stand-alone sexual harassment policies while others embed the policies in their overall rules alongside such things as debate procedures. Some legislatures have separate policies for their House and Senate while others have joint policies. There are no documents for five legislative chambers. The Arkansas Senate doesn’t have a sexual harassment policy; the Mississippi Senate, Oklahoma Senate and West Virginia House and Senate didn’t provide policies.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS ON HARASSMENT POLICIES
— The Arkansas Senate is the only state legislative chamber that does not have a specific sexual harassment policy, though a Senate legal counsel said it does have an ethics code and the authority to discipline members for disorderly behavior. Officials in the Oklahoma Senate and both chambers of the West Virginia Legislature asserted that their policies are internal documents exempt from disclosure. The Mississippi Senate did not respond to requests for its written policy.
— Nearly half of all legislative chambers have updated their sexual harassment policies over the past five years. The Nevada Legislature, for example, expanded its definition of sexual harassment to include “visual” conduct in addition to verbal and physical conduct. New Mexico changed its law to allow accusers to publicize sexual harassment complaints against lawmakers before an investigation determines probable cause of a violation exists.
— About half of all legislative chambers provide sexual harassment training once every two years, which coincides with election cycles and the duration of House terms in most states. About one-third of states provide annual training.
— Most legislative chambers provide sexual harassment training either in-person or online. Nevada’s legislature declined to say how often or by what method sexual harassment training is provided, asserting it is exempt from disclosure under attorney-client privilege.
— Only about one-quarter of state legislative chambers require external investigations when sexual harassment complaints are made against lawmakers. Dozens of additional chambers have the option for external investigations, typically at the case-by-case discretion of legislative leaders.
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FIND YOUR STATE: ACCUSED OFFICIALS
The AP created a spreadsheet detailing the number or sexual harassment and misconduct allegations made public against lawmakers and top executive officials in each state since 2017.
A separate spreadsheet details the total number of such allegations by year. The greatest number of allegations occurred in the first two years of the #MeToo movement.
Included in both of these spreadsheets are any allegations publicized against state lawmakers and elected executive officials during the time in which they were in office, even though the alleged conduct may have occurred before 2017 or before the person took office. This is in keeping with the #MeToo movement, which spotlighted not only current actions but also conduct that may have occurred in prior years.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS ON ACCUSED STATE OFFICIALS
States with the most public allegations of sexual misconduct against lawmakers and top executive officials since 2017, listed by the number:
13 allegations: California
8 allegations: Kentucky
7 allegations: Arizona, Missouri and New York
6 allegations: Alaska, Colorado, Ohio and Pennsylvania
5 allegations: Florida, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon and Tennessee
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FIND YOUR STATE: WOMEN IN LEGISLATURES
The Center for American Women and Politics, at Rutgers University, tracks the number of women elected to office. One-third of state legislative seats currently are held by women, which is the highest percentage in U.S. history but still well shy of the greater than 50% share of women in the total population.
The top five state legislatures, by percentage of women:
— Nevada, 61.9%
— New Mexico, 53.6%
— Colorado, 52.0%
— California, 48.3%
— Arizona, 47.8%
The bottom five state legislatures, by percentage of women:
— Alabama, 18.6%
— Tennessee, 17.4%
— Mississippi, 14.9%
— South Carolina, 12.9%
— West Virginia, 11.9%
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CONSIDER THESE REPORTING THREADS
— What policies and procedures do your state legislative chambers have for handling sexual harassment complaints? Review the written policies the AP has compiled. Something to consider: Are investigations of complaints handled by legislative staff, lawmakers or outside attorneys? How does this process affect people’s willingness to come forward with complaints? Are the findings of investigations made public or are they kept secret?
— How do your legislative chambers provide training to lawmakers about sexual harassment? Review the AP spreadsheet for details about the frequency and method of training. Talk to legislative officials such as House clerks or Senate secretaries to determine whether training is mandatory and whether there are consequences for those who don’t participate. Request a copy of written or video training materials, if your legislature uses such methods. Consult with local experts, such as human resource managers or law school professors, about whether the training materials meet generally accepted standards.
— What do people who work in the Capitol think about the atmosphere there as it relates to sexual harassment and misconduct? Talk both with veteran and new lawmakers to gain their perspectives. Inquire also of legislative staff and lobbyists. For those who have worked in the building a while, do they believe the environment is any different now than before the #MeToo movement gained traction in 2017?
— How many women are members of your state legislature, and how many serve in leadership positions? Review the data from The Center for American Women and Politics. To what extent has this changed over time? Talk to both veteran and new women lawmakers about their roles and perceptions of how women are treated in the Capitol. Do they believe women are on equal footing with men?
— What has become of lawmakers and executive officials accused of sexual misconduct in your state? Almost every state has had someone accused since 2017. Have they remained in office with the same or diminished power? If they have left office, were there any further repercussions such as criminal charges or civil lawsuits?
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READ ADDITIONAL AP COVERAGE
Number of women who are state lawmakers inches up to a record high
A record 13 women will be governors next year after New Hampshire elected Kelly Ayotte
Over 100 state lawmakers accused of misconduct in 3 years
#MeToo movement was not 1-year phenomenon in state capitols
Half of states act as #MeToo sexual misconduct claims mount
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EMBED THESE GRAPHICS
STATEHOUSE HARASSMENT — Graphics. These AP digital embed graphics detail aspects of claims of sexual harassment or misconduct against state elected officials since 2017, when the #MeToo movement brought enhanced scrutiny to sexual impropriety in American workplaces including statehouses.
STATEHOUSE HARASSMENT-TRAINING — Map shows the type and frequency of sexual harassment training given to state lawmakers. This map is current as of March 21, 2025, and will not update. Source: AP reports.
To embed, insert this code into your CMS:
!– start AP embed —
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!– end AP embed —
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STATEHOUSE HARASSMENT-CLAIMS — Map shows the number of cases by state against state elected officials between 2017 and 2024. This map is current as of March 21, 2025, and will not update. Source: AP reports.
To embed, insert this code into your CMS:
!– start AP embed —
iframe title=“Sexual misconduct claims against elected state officials” aria-label=“Map” id=“ap-chart-GPaXL” src=“https://interactives.ap.org/embeds/GPaXL/8/” scrolling=“no” width=“100%” style=“border:none” height=“647″/iframescript type=“text/javascript”!function()(“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(e)(if(void 0!==e.data(“datawrapper-height”))(var t=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var a in e.data(“datawrapper-height”))for(var r=0;rt.length;r++)(if(t(r).contentWindow===e.source)t(r).style.height=e.data(“datawrapper-height”)(a)+“px”))))))();/script
!– end AP embed —
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STATEHOUSE HARASSMENT-OFFICIALS — Chart shows the number of state elected officials named in sexual harassment or misconduct claims by year since 2017. This chart is current as of March 21, 2025, and will not update. Source: AP reports.
To embed, insert this code into your CMS:
!– start AP embed —
iframe title=“State elected officials named in sexual misconduct claims” aria-label=“Stacked Columns” id=“ap-chart-N2NB3” src=“https://interactives.ap.org/embeds/N2NB3/5/” scrolling=“no” width=“100%” style=“border:none” height=“508″/iframescript type=“text/javascript”!function()(“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(e)(if(void 0!==e.data(“datawrapper-height”))(var t=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var a in e.data(“datawrapper-height”))for(var r=0;rt.length;r++)(if(t(r).contentWindow===e.source)t(r).style.height=e.data(“datawrapper-height”)(a)+“px”))))))();/script
!– end AP embed —
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Localize It is a reporting resource produced by The Associated Press for its customers’ use. Questions can be directed to Katie Oyan at koyan@ap.org.
