ANCHORAGE – Today, Senate Democratic Leader Berta Gardner (D-Anchorage) released the following statement regarding actions taken by House leadership in response to multiple allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior against Representative Dean Westlake (D-Kiana).

“We commend the actions of House leadership today in taking decisive action to hold their members accountable, and stand in solidarity with them and the brave staffers who have overcome their own fears and discomfort to share their unfortunate experiences.

“Sexual assault and harassment has no place in the halls of government or any workplace, and every elected leader should be held to the highest standards of comportment and integrity, and treat everyone with whom they come in contact with respect.

“It is easy to point fingers at our political rivals, but it is when we are able to police our own, and not flinch from what is the right thing to do that we really show what we are made of. The House has modeled what true leadership looks like. Sexual harassment is not about political party, and it is not about political convenience. It is unacceptable in all forms, in all places.

“Senate leadership should follow in the courageous footsteps of the House, and hold its members accountable. It was with terrible disappointment that we watched yesterday as Senator Wilson blamed everyone but himself for his actions, equivocated, evaded, and called the multiple eyewitnesses to his latest incident of harassment liars, including a respected journalist and the victim herself.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adsense-responsive”]”Each body, each party, each legislator must stand up, respect victims brave enough to come forward, and take decisive action against offenders regardless of personal or political cost.”

  Alaska, assault, dean westlake, harassment, kiana, representative