
In the embarrassing wake of two scandals involving two different Missouri lawmakers who have both been forced to quit after accusations that they sexually harassed their interns, the Missouri House is discussing instituting a new dress code. For the interns. Thatâs it. Thatâll do it.
The dress code suggestion comes after House Speaker John Diehl sexted with a 19-year-old intern and was found out, which resulted in the internship program being suspended and his eventual resignation. In July, a Senate investigation revealed that two more interns, who worked for him years apart, accused State Senator Paul LeVota of sexual harassment.
In 2010, 24-year-old Taylor Hirth said LeVota had subjected her to a barrage of unwanted sexual harassment, including the following text exchange she shared with the Kansas City Star:
Hirth told LeVota that she makes it a point not to drink alone with married men.
He quickly responded.
âGood rule,â LeVota texted. âLetâs say this. You are smoking & funny & smart, all around cool chick. As far as âthe moves,â Iâm in if you are. If not, remember that I think youâre a cool chick, I like you, & we can be friends. Got it?â
After a couple of innocuous texts, LeVota tried again.
âSo you have a rule,â he texted. âThatâs pretty much iron clad.â
She responded, âYessiree.â
âWell if there ever is a loop hole, donât be so hard on yourself,â he texted back.
Hirth said the exchange opened her eyes.
âThat was when it became apparent that it wasnât innocent and it was only going to get worse if I continued to ignore it,â she said.
Advertisement
In February, college senior Alissa Hembree found herself the subject of LeVotaâs still-creepy attentions. She told the Kansas City Star that she cut off 22 inches of her hair to âseem more invisibleâ to the senator and stopped wearing dresses and heels to the office. That didnât work. She cut her internship short, working two months instead of the planned five. LeVota, too, ultimately was forced to resign.
Now, the Star reports, House Republicans are pretty sure theyâve gotten to the root of the problem: itâs the way the interns are dressing. Rep. Kevin Engler sent out a list of proposed reforms to a committee tasked with rehabbing the internship program, then asked if his fellow lawmakers had any other suggestions. From the Star:
Among the first suggested additions to Englerâs list came from Rep. Bill Kidd, an Independence Republican, who responded almost immediately, âIntern dress code.â
He was seconded by Republican Rep. Nick King of Liberty.
âWe need a good, modest, conservative dress code for both the males and females,â King wrote in an email to colleagues. âRemoving one more distraction will help everyone keep their focus on legislative matters.â
Rep. Kathy Swan, a Cape Girardeau Republican, said in an email that dress codes are common HR policies in the workplace.
âThe most valuable and valid internship experiences are ones where interns are embedded in the work environment, which includes the same/similar job expectations as employees, including dress code,â Swan said.
But enthusiasm for the idea wasnât shared by Democratic lawmakers.
âWeâre really not going to require interns to dress so weâre less distracted, are we?â said Rep. Bill Otto, a St. Louis County Democrat. âAll we need is a code of ethics and a penalty provision.â
Rep. Sue Meredith, a St. Louis Democrat, said she was getting the feeling âthe finger is being pointed at the young, female interns.â The dress code, she said, should be âthe same as for everyone in the House.â
Advertisement
The handbook given to the new interns this year, the Star reports, will state that lawmaking is âa professional activity, and those engaged in it must dress professionally and appropriately:â
Men are required to wear a jacket and necktie for admission to the side galleries of the House Chamber. Women should dress in appropriate business attire (such as dress, suit, dress slacks and jacket).â
Presumably when that doesnât work, the House will consider a dress code for lawmakers that involves a sturdy chastity belt and the blinders that carriage horses wear.
Advertisement
Contact the author at anna.merlan@jezebel.com.
Public PGP key
PGP fingerprint: 67B5 5767 9D6F 652E 8EFD 76F5 3CF0 DAF2 79E5 1FB6
Missouri House Speaker John Diehl on May 15, 2015, the day of his resignation. Photo via AP Images