LATEST: News 8’s Adam Pinsker reports the Indianapolis City-County Council rules committee on Friday evening recommended passage of a proposed ordinance to review the city government’s procedures associated with sexual harassment of its employees, and “reviews training” to prevent it.

The commission also advanced a separate proposed ordinance to create a special committee to investigate allegations against Democratic Mayor Joe Hogsett’s office concerning the conduct of former chief of staff Thomas Cook. He’s accused of sexually harassing women before he was dismissed from his job.

The special committee of five Democrats and two Republicans from the City-County Council would have subpoena power.

Both proposals could receive final approvals from the full council as soon Sept. 9.

If passed, members of the special committee could be selected as soon as Sept. 12. The special committee could convene within three weeks of being formed. It was not immediately clear from the ordinance whether the meetings would be open to the public.

The special committee would be expected to issue an interim report by Feb. 25.

Also, the rules committee said it’s seeking an outside law firm or human resources organization to recommend policy changes to the city’s sexual harassment policy.

Hogsett issued a statement after the rules committee met Monday evening.

Statement

“Eleven days ago, I delivered my Budget Address to the City-County Council and laid out immediate steps the City would be taking to create a safer workplace for everyone, and we have worked swiftly to make these changes a reality. Human Resources sent out this year’s mandatory sexual harassment training on 8/15, which I completed the next morning, and on 8/19 I signed an executive order to make this training mandatory on an annual basis for all City employees, not just supervisors. On 8/16, the City began an internal education campaign to ensure all employees know how to access the free counseling and support available through our Employee Assistance Program. A national law firm without local ties is being hired to review and make recommendations on our Employee Handbook. And soon, following demos that began this week, an anonymous reporting system will be made available to all employees.

“As the Mayor of Indianapolis, it is of critical importance to me that, in addition to ensuring there are appropriate sexual harassment and fraternization policies in place, every person who serves our community in the City-County enterprise understands they can report inappropriate behavior of any kind without fear of retribution, and that all investigations will be conducted in a confidential manner. I remain committed to working with the City-County Council and leaders of this Administration to make continued changes to our policies and practices that ensure a safe and equitable workplace for all.“

Democratic Mayor Joe Hogsett on Aug. 23, 2024

The original post from News 8’s Dakarai Turner appears below.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The City-County Council’s Rules and Public Policy Committee will meet Friday to discuss two significant proposals aimed at addressing workplace conduct after Mayor Joe Hogsett’s former Chief of Staff Thomas Cook was accused of sexually harassing women with whom he worked, the City-County Council’s Democratic leadership said.

Proposal No. 287, 2024, seeks to authorize the City-County Council Committee to review current the city’s processes related to sexual harassment and associated training. That proposal was not published Friday afternoon on the city’s website.

Proposal No. 288, 2024, will establish a committee to investigate allegations against the mayor’s office concerning Cook’s conduct.

In addition, the Committee will consider an amendment calling for the hiring of an independent law or human resources firm. This firm will be tasked with investigating the allegations and recommending necessary policy changes.

“Our priority is to restore trust in city leadership and to ensure that Indianapolis is a place where every employee feels secure, valued, and supported,” said Democratic Majority Leader Maggie Lewis. “We are committed to making the necessary changes to protect our employees now and in the future. This is a critical step in holding leadership accountable and creating a safer work environment for all.”

According to Lewis, key provisions of the amendment include:

• Creation of an Investigative Committee: Comprising five members from the majority party and two from the minority party, tasked with overseeing the investigation.
• Engagement of Independent Firms: To thoroughly investigate the allegations and recommend policy changes to address gaps in the city’s human resources policies and practices.
• Authority to Subpoena: Granting the Committee authority to subpoena witnesses and documents as necessary.
• Victim Protection: Ensuring that no identifying information of victims is disclosed to the public, and implementing strict privacy protocols.
• Sexual Harassment Training: Modifying Revised Code Section 293-304 to include all City-County Council employees in an annual mandatory sexual harassment training, and add, where appropriate, a requirement that all workplace relationships be disclosed to human resources through a consensual relationship agreement.

The Investigative Committee will convene within 21 days of the proposal’s passage and will provide an interim report by Feb. 28, 2025, with ongoing updates to the City-County Council, according to information released by Lewis.