A communications director for Iowa’s Senate Republican Caucus was fired on Friday, in what she claims as retaliation for protesting sexual harassment by male legislators and staff members seven hours earlier.
“When you go to the workplace, you should have a safe environment,” Kirsten Anderson, the former staffer, told WHO-TV. “Women especially should not have their body parts scrutinized, objectified. People should not be ridiculed or mocked for simply the color of their pants that they are wearing, and those sorts of things were taking place at the Capitol.”
A top aide to Senate Republican Leader Bill Dix strongly denied the allegations, according to the Des Moines Register, maintining that Anderson was dismissed after she failed to improve her performance.
“She was given an opportunity to improve her work performance and it did not improve,” Ed Failor Jr. said.
Anderson did not provide names of lawmakers who were involved in the alleged conduct, but said that it was “extremely inappropriate and constituents would not be happy that their legislators were saying these things.”
