In the wake of the resignation of Virginia House Speaker Vance Wilkins Jr., Richmond lawmakers have become more outspoken about the issue of sexual harassment.
According to several delegates, the most frequent victims of sexual harassment are female lobbyists and legislative aids who work in the capital.
Teresa Gregson, president of Vantage Point Consulting, LLC., who has lobbied in Richmond for 14 years, said she has had several experiences with sexual harassment.
"There are legislators who made my life very difficult," said Gregson, noting that Wilkins was not among that group. Gregson added that there is a difference between inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment.
"Inappropriate behavior might include an off-color joke, and I don't know many female lobbyists that are so thin skinned that they'd be upset by an off-color joke," Gregson said. "Sexual harassment, however, is different. It's humiliating and degrading and there's nothing funny about it."
However, sexual harassment is not confined to lobbyists and at times has found its way to the House floor. Del. Jeannemarie Devolites, R-Vienna, the majority whip, said she had negative experiences with three delegates when first elected to the House.
In particular, Devolites said Del. Ward Armstrong, D-Henry, publicly embarrassed her on several occasions, including doing an impression of Bill Clinton and comparing her to Monica Lewinsky. Later, Armstrong apologized for his comments on the floor of the House.
"I think they considered it part of my initiation," Devolites said.
While there may be some instances of sexual harassment aimed at delegates, female legislators largely are protected by their elected status.
"Behavior toward a woman who has been elected is very different," said Del. Kristen Amundson, D-Fairfax.
"The concern is for staff members and lobbyists," said Del. Vivian E. Watts, D-Fairfax. "As a member [of the House] I have a certain protection of that status."
Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, who served as a delegate for 10 years, said several of his colleagues in the House were well-known for their habitual verbal abuse.
"There have been legislators who are notorious for their romance," Deeds said. "There are a couple of delegates I've known who have made a career out of making passes at women."
Deeds expressed a wish for an institution that allowed women who have suffered from harassment to report the offender.
"There ought to be in place a policy that would allow people who have been harassed to make an anonymous report," Deeds said.
Amundson agreed on the need for such a procedure.
"I hope there is some place [abused women] can go and someone they can tell," she said.
Politics Prof. Larry J. Sabato, who began traveling to the state capital in the mid-1960s, said the problem is not as severe as it once was.
"It was far worse in the 60s and 70s than it is today," Sabato said. "We don't tolerate it as we once did."
Sen. Linda Puller, D-Fairfax, who served in the House for eight years, agreed that the environment has improved.
"I think the atmosphere has gotten a lot better since I first got there," she said. "I've had people say inappropriate things to me, but not for many years."
According to several delegates and lobbyists, sexual harassment in the capital is often a means of asserting authority.
"Many times, [sexual harassment] has little to do with sex and more to do with power," Gregson said.
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