Though this case of sexual harassment dates back, it is very illustrative of how anyone can come under scrutiny and how essential it is for everyone to understand the rules and the ethics of situations regarding the workplace. As this case has a bit of age on it, I will share upfront that it cost Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia to lose all of her committee responsibilities and she was forced to take a leave of absence. Is the rocky political road of sexual harassment worth it?
A Loss of Reputation
It was Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia who took the stance to be at the forefront of the sexual harassment movement at the California State Capitol. She was outspoken in her support of the #MeToo movement and she was the chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus. Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to think the rules of sexual harassment applied to her.
In 2018, two men came forward to accuse Ms. Garcia of making improper sexual advances toward them. One of the accusers was a legislative administrative staff member. The staffer told his former boss that in 2014, Garcia groped him while he was on the job and then during a legislative softball game (also a job-related function), she tried to grab his crotch. When the staffer told his former boss of the incident, it was then referred to the Assembly Rules Committee.
The staffer said he wanted to speak out against the hypocrisy because Ms. Garcia purported herself to be so highly associated with the #MeToo movement and that she wasn’t quite the person she claimed to be.
“I have female colleagues who have been through way worse than me,” said the staffer. “That conversation needs to be had. …If their stories are being taken less seriously by people in the district because the messenger is not credible, that’s a problem.”
When the accusations were first brought forward, Garcia claimed to have “zero recollection of engaging in inappropriate behavior…Every complaint about sexual harassment should be taken seriously and I will participate fully in any investigation that takes place.”
To their great credit, other legislators associated with the women’s caucus came forward to believe the accusers. State Sen. Connie Leyva (D-Chino), vice chair of the caucus said
“I have consistently voiced my strong opinion that any legislator under investigation by either the Assembly or Senate should take an immediate leave of absence until the review is completed.”
As the scandal unfolded, the stance of the women’s caucus was the correct reaction. Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia was at fault.
The Playing Fields – The Rocky Political Road of Sexual Harassment
The playing fields of politics have long been accused of being areas where sexual harassment and sexual abuse have run rampant. Why, is an interesting subject of ethical debate. No matter the type of sexual abuse, political forums are perhaps frequent violators of societal rules of harassment because many politicians (often lawyers themselves) feel above the law. They see themselves in powerful positions and able to force themselves without repercussion. They may feel that if they take a public stance, that privately, they need an answer to no one. In this case, it is also possible that Garcia felt – that as a woman – no one would believe or take seriously any sexual complaints against her. I will not dwell on this particular aspect of sexual harassment other than to say that I personally know of many cases where females in the workplace have struck, punched, and even groped males or other females because they believed such behavior to be without consequence. The rules equally apply.
I cannot surmise Ms. Garcia’s need to sexually harass males in the workplace. In some cases, it may be based on sexual desire, in other cases, it is “power,” or psychological problems. Nevertheless, it is wrong and deserved strong censure.
How did Ms. Garcia rationalize her behavior? We can make our guesses, ranging anywhere from her thinking it was playful fun, or that no one would believe the accusers or simply, that it would be quickly forgotten. The ethical playing field must work equally for all, or it cannot work. Ms. Garcia should have known it’s a rocky political road of sexual harassment!
