Shortly after a former staffer filed a lawsuit accusing Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) of firing her as retribution for a sexual assault allegation against a former boss, the congresswoman has stepped down from the chairmanship of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and her post on a House Judiciary subcommittee.
According to a Wednesday New York Times report, Jackson Lee has been facing internal pressure from CBCF members and her Democratic peers to at least temporarily step down or be removed.
The former aide claims that she was raped by a member of the CBCF and eventually told Jackson Lee when she got hired to her office and heard that there were discussions to hire her alleged rapist, Damien Jones, as well. According to that initial BuzzFeed News report, Jackson Lee cancelled a scheduled meeting with the ex-staffer (named Jane Doe in the lawsuit) and fired her shortly after, citing budgetary issues.
Jackson Lee is maintaining her innocence. “The congresswoman is confident that, once all of the facts come to light, her office will be exonerated of any retaliatory or otherwise improper conduct and this matter will be put to rest,” a statement from her office says.
Yikes! I worked with Sheila back in the late 80’s. She’s a pretty tough cookie, from Queens, IIRC.
We need a new standard. Republicans have demonstrated their guilt over and over an over, so you have to assume guilt.
Democrats not so much (see Franken, Al) so perhaps we could wait to find out what’s really happening before we go all viral condemnation defending twittering?
Just sayin.
It is no accident that the root word of Twitter is Twit. They say that nothing good happens after midnight. The corollary is that even less good happens on Twitter…
SJL has a bad reputation – and I say this as one of her constituents. This isn’t the first time she’s had press about how she treats her staff. But she’s African-American in a majority AA district (drawn esp. for her).
I think she did the right thing in stepping aside. If the allegations against her staffer are true, she bears some responsibility for his actions. I hope there will be a full investigation and if necessary, prosecution. She’s also further shaming Steve King for his failure to take the blame for his behavior.