Sexual harassment reporting focus of Indianapolis council investigation

City officials continue to grapple with the fallout from sexual misconduct allegations inside the Hogsett administration. A new investigative committee questioned the reporting system at its first meeting recently.

The City’s human resources director Twana Ellis answered questions about procedure and policy related to reporting harassment. She acknowledged for many years HR had an imperfect reporting system.

“I think that's why we're here today, is that we've had individuals in our workplace that have just not reported it,” Ellis said.

Formation of the committee is in response to local news reports this past summer when three women came forward with sexual harassment accusations against Hogsett’s former chief of staff, Thomas Cook. 

Lauren Roberts was one of those women. She said she did report the behavior, even directly to Mayor Hogsett, but never received information or was contacted about her claim.

Gaps in the reporting procedure have been a significant factor in the harassment crisis the administration found itself in, following the news investigations.

This week the city named a new, third party reporting tool for employees to remain anonymous and receive updates on their case. It also offers a hotline and consultation services.

Director Ellis said outside help in the reporting process and the investigation is needed.

“Because we would have had these things in place years ago. If I had the foresight to see it years ago,” Ellis said, “maybe we would have this system in place some time ago in order to make people feel safe.”

The committee to investigate sexual harassment allegations was approved by the Indianapolis City-County Council last month.

Councilor Crista Carlino chairs the investigative committee and at the first meeting she pointed out another flaw in the system. Previously only supervisors and managers were required to receive sexual harassment training that should have flagged the issues in reporting.

“And yet no action was ever taken to institute an avenue for anonymous reporting until there was an incident,” Carlino said.

In recent moves to reform sexual harassment policy, the Mayor signed an executive to require all employees receive training. The city also set up a temporary anonymous reporting system that will now be replaced with the new tool. 

More people have come forward in recent weeks to report incidents resulting in one staff member being fired. HR Director Ellis said there are currently four other claims being investigated. 

“At the present time, we're trying to make it safe and confidential as far as having meetings, maybe outside of our floor, in the more comfortable settings to investigate these claims,” Ellis said, “but I do believe that with our third-party, people will feel more comfortable.”

The council investigative committee will also be in charge of hiring an outside legal or HR firm to conduct an investigation, identify gaps in the system, and recommend changes to the harassment policy.

Contact WFYI city government and policy editor Jill Sheridan at jsheridan@wfyi.org.