INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Mayor Joe Hogsett’s office on Friday said Hogsett will sign an order “in the coming days” to require sexual harassment prevention training for all employees.

A city ordinance enacted in 2019 requires anyone in a supervisor role to take a two-hour sexual harassment prevention course every two years. Hogsett’s office said he completed his required training Friday morning, and will soon sign an order to require the training for all employees on an annual basis. Officials with the mayor’s office would not provide an exact timeline, saying only the order would be issued in the coming days.

Hogsett faces immense criticism for his handling of sexual harassment allegations against his former chief of staff, Thomas Cook. Former Hogsett Deputy Campaign Manager Lauren Roberts has said she alerted Hogsett in May 2017 after enduring sexual harassment and abuse from Cook. Hogsett has said Cook was disciplined, but Roberts said she was never interviewed or even told about an investigation into her complaints. Meanwhile, mayor’s office employee Caroline Ellert and a third, anonymous female employee said Cook sexually harassed them from 2018 to 2020. Cook was asked to resign in Dec. 2020, but later worked on Hogsett’s 2023 reelection campaign.

Roberts and Ellert have publicly called for several changes to the city’s policies surrounding sexual harassment. In addition to expanded training, they have called for an independent investigation into the city’s existing policies, provide an independent avenue for reporting sexual harassment incidents and extend no-cost mental health services to anyone who suffers sexual harassment. At Monday night’s City-County Council meeting, Hogsett said he will launch an anonymous, online portal to report sexual harassment. Hogsett’s office on Friday said that portal also will be launched “in the coming days.”

Hogsett’s office said the city still plans to hire a national firm with no local ties to review the employee handbook. In addition, officials said no-cost mental health services already are available through the city’s employee assistance program. Officials said city employees were reminded of the program in a Friday memo.