Maryland Democrats Will Not Tolerate Sexual Harassment

Dear Young Democrats,

By now many of you have heard about the revelations concerning Delegate Curt Anderson (Baltimore City). These revelations, much like those about other business, entertainment, political and news leaders have forced us as a society to look at what we’ve allowed to exist. The Maryland Democratic Party is not immune from those challenges. Our only response however must be to confront these issues when they arise directly and honestly. Today Kathleen Matthews, Chair of the Party, announced that is exactly what we will do.

Please read the email below from Chairwoman Matthews with what MDP is already doing and what more we will be doing in the future. I will be upfront with you, I can’t say this is enough. I’m not sure Kathleen will say this is enough. We welcome ideas on what more we can do.

Joseph Kitchen

President

Dear MDP Executive Committee Members,

The Maryland Democratic Party has received multiple emails and calls regarding the allegations of sexual harassment against Delegate Curt Anderson, and we have been informed that Baltimore Women United may protest at our upcoming August 4 Democratic State Central Committee meeting.

After speaking to several Democratic women legislators, they have asked us to allow the new process created in the 2018 legislative session for investigating sexual harassment allegations to proceed through the Ethics Committee towards a fair and public conclusion. I encourage you to contact your legislators directly if you have questions or concerns about the process.

As you may know, the Maryland Democratic Party runs the statewide Democratic coordinated campaign, and we have no plans to campaign with or for Delegate Curt Anderson in 2018.

I also want to share some information about steps that the Democratic Party has been taking over the last year to address sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace. We have a zero tolerance policy for discrimination and sexual harassment. As Chair, I instituted a new policy earlier this year requiring all MDP staff and the Chair to complete sexual harassment training. We held our first training for all staff, including the Chair, earlier this year and will do so going forward on an annual basis. We also provided a sexual harassment training for candidates and campaign staff at our candidate training in March. Our legislature separately provides and requires ethics training for all legislators that includes sexual harassment training.

Going forward, the party will require that all 2018 coordinated campaign staff go through sexual harassment training this year, and require that all newly elected members of the Democratic State Central Committee complete sexual harassment training by the end of 2018. The Maryland Democratic Party by-laws currently address misfeasance or malfeasance in office, which would include sexual harassment, to be grounds for removal from the Democratic State Central Committee. Allegations of this sort would be referred to the Credentials Committee.

I look forward to seeing you on August 4.

Kathleen Matthews

Kathleen Matthews

Chair

Maryland Democratic Party