An employee of Secretary of State Tom Schedler is accusing him of repeated sexual harassment and creating an abusive working environment over the past decade.
The woman, who has worked at the Secretary of State’s office since 2004, filed the lawsuit in Baton Rouge district court today through her lawyer, Jill Craft.
The lawsuit says shortly after Schedler began working under then-Secretary of State Jay Dardenne in 2007, he bought a townhome across the parking lot from the woman’s home and would watch her out of his window.
In the ensuing years—until as recently as last fall—Schedler is accused of repeatedly making sexual advances toward the woman and retaliating when she rebuffed him by embarrassing her in front of colleagues, transferring her to undesirable office locations and “berating” her at work. The repeated propositions and retaliations created a “sexually hostile and abusive working environment,” according to the lawsuit, which adds the behavior lasted through last year.
“We take any allegation of sexual harassment very seriously here at the Secretary of State’s Office,” Schedler says in a statement. “I have not seen the suit or the specific details, but as the father of three grown daughters and three granddaughters I can assure the public that I believe in a safe workplace, free from harassment, and will continue my record of transparency with my constituents.”
Schedler also notes he and his wife have been separated for “a long time” and his friends and family support the decision. Schedler was first appointed Secretary of State in 2010 and was elected in 2011.
“Over the years from 2008 on, Schedler engaged in a pattern and practice of sexual harassment and retaliatory harassment against petitioner,” the lawsuit says.
The woman, through her lawyer, notified an official in Gov. John Bel Edwards’ office of the allegations in August, according to the suit. At that point, the lawyers of Schedler and the woman communicated about the claims.
“Commissioner Jay Dardenne was contacted by the petitioner’s attorney in August regarding these claims for the purpose of engaging the Secretary of State in the matter,” Edwards spokesman Richard Carbo says in an email. “All of the information given to Commissioner Dardenne was handed over to the Secretary of State as requested by the petitioner’s attorney.”
The suit also claims Schedler sent the woman unwanted gifts—including sex tapes and wine—as well as “well over” 100 cards and love letters, often hand addressed to “My Dearest Sunshine.”
The suit contends the office did not have an effective policy against harassment or retaliation in the workplace. The lawsuit also includes detailed allegations against Schedler, including that he enlisted security to report to him the woman’s whereabouts and “exiled” her when she refused sexual passes in 2012. Last year, Schedler made several sexual propositions and when rebuffed, became “enraged” and required the woman to “stay out of sight” in the office, the lawsuit says.
