March 29, 2018 03:50 PM UTC

Jack Tate Skates on Sexual Harassment

• 11 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

Senate President Kevin Grantham formally dismissed sexual harassment allegations against Sen. Jack Tate (R-Centennial) on Thursday.

As Jesse Paul reports for the Denver Post:

Allegations leveled against GOP state Sen. Jack Tate last year do not amount to sexual harassment, the Colorado legislature’s top Republican said in a letter that also clears Tate of any employment-law violations.

Tate, of Centennial, was accused by a former legislative intern in November of leering at her and making comments about what she was wearing during last year’s legislative session, when she was 18.

An outside investigation, by the Denver-based Employers Council, found that her allegations were based on incidents that more likely happened than not.

Grantham informed Tate of his “decision” in a letter released today, stating that “There is no definitive determination the (sexual harassment) policy was violated” and adding “It is also important to note that none of the complainants’ accusations constitute a violation of state or federal employment laws.” To top things off, Grantham had the stones to write the following:

“This has been a learning experience for all of us.”

Really? Sexual harassment allegations were a “learning experience?” It seems to us that the only thing we have “learned” is that Senate Republicans can and will ignore any accusations of sexual harassment levied against members of its caucus.

If you think Grantham’s explanations are awful, just wait until you see what Tate said in response. In a written statement released today, Tate is quoted thusly: “I am grateful that this challenging situation has been concluded.”

Yes, it must have been very hard on Sen. Tate to have had to deal with credible allegations that he sexually harassed an 18-year-old intern.

[pause for teeth gnashing]

Last week Tate’s accuser publicly released a report confirming her allegations in an effort to prod Grantham to do something about a case he has known about since at least mid-November. A report from the Employers Council in late February found the accusations credible and was immediately met with derision from Grantham. Separate accusations of sexual harassment against Sen. Randy Baumgardner — which were also confirmed by the Employers Council — were waved off by Grantham as “inaccuracies” and “inconsistencies.”

Someday Grantham, Tate, and Baumgardner will have their own karmic reckoning. Colorado voters can voice their opinion on the Republican Senate Majority in November.

#TateSkates