Nick Monson, Oregon’s former acting legislative equity officer who left in June after just two months on the job, filed a tort claim notice on Monday.
The notice, which names several top state and legislative officials and the Joint Conduct Committee, alleges that the system for handling sexual harassment allegations at the Capitol was dysfunctional. There was no data collection and outside investigators were hired without a bidding process and not paid, according to the notice.
“For years, both the Oregon Department of Justice and the Legislature have engaged in, and endorsed, sexual misconduct and discrimination,” attorney Kim Sordyl says in Monson's claim notice, which she sent to State Chief Operating Officer Katy Coba; Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum; Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek, none of whom immediately responded to a request for comment.
The Department of Administrative Services has no comment on pending litigation.
The claim is a prelude to a potential lawsuit detailing what Monson’s attorneys describe as “rampant violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and negligent supervision, negligent retention, defamation, whistleblower retaliation and aiding and abetting.”
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