{"id":64636,"date":"2018-05-02T12:28:03","date_gmt":"2018-05-02T12:28:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=64636"},"modified":"2018-05-02T12:28:03","modified_gmt":"2018-05-02T12:28:03","slug":"louisiana-election-chief-resigns-amid-sexual-harassment-scandal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/politics\/louisiana-election-chief-resigns-amid-sexual-harassment-scandal.html","title":{"rendered":"Louisiana election chief resigns amid sexual harassment scandal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Louisiana election chief resigns amid sexual harassment scandal<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Louisiana\u2019s chief election official, Secretary of State Tom Schedler, resigned on Tuesday in the face of what he called \u201can incredibly serious allegation\u201d that he had sexually harassed a female employee.<\/span><\/p>\n

Schedler became the latest in a wave of dozens of businessmen, politicians and entertainers to lose their posts amid accusations of sexual harassment in what has become known over the last year as the social media #MeToo movement.<\/span><\/p>\n

The accuser, Dawn Ross, said in her lawsuit filed in a Louisiana district court in February that Schedler began making inappropriate comments to her soon after he joined the department in 2007.<\/span><\/p>\n

Schedler, a Republican, had previously denied harassing the woman, saying he had only a consensual relationship with her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have been incredibly frustrated with the tabloid approach to an incredibly serious allegation and the necessity of following the advice of counsel to not try this publicly,\u201d Schedler said in his resignation letter. He said that he would trust the legal process to \u201cfairly consider all the facts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ross said Schedler, who lived in the same residential complex as she did, would observe her movements and comment on them the next day. He also propositioned her at work for a decade in the face of her rejections, and even surveilled a man she was dating.<\/span><\/p>\n

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, had called on Schedler to resign in February.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn light of the additional information that has been disclosed, I believe this is the best course of action for Tom, his family, and the state of Louisiana,\u201d he said in a statement on Tuesday. Local news outlets have published emails obtained from Schedler\u2019s work account in recent days in which he makes sexual overtures to Ross.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ross\u2019s lawyer, Jill Craft, said Ross was never in a consensual relationship with Schedler.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we have elected officials who represent us they need to be held to at least the same standard as those in private industry, if not to a higher standard,\u201d Craft said in a telephone interview.<\/span><\/p>\n

Schedler\u2019s last day will be May 8, and his replacement will be found through a special election.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-louisiana-secretary\/louisiana-election-chief-resigns-amid-sexual-harassment-scandal-idUSKBN1I249R<\/span><\/p>\n

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