Ex-intern sues Idaho lawmakers for harassing her after rape
An ex-intern has filed a lawsuit against Idaho lawmakers for allegedly harassing her after she reported being raped by a legislator in 2018. The suit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Boise, accuses Republican leadership of the Idaho House of Representatives of creating a hostile work environment for her and retaliating against her for reporting her assault.
The lawsuit alleges that after the plaintiff, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, reported the rape to police, House leadership subjected her to humiliating and retaliatory treatment, including forcing her to continue to work in close proximity to her assailant and denying her requests for accommodations to protect her from further harassment.
According to the suit, Doe, who was an intern for the Idaho House during the 2018 legislative session, was raped by a member of the House of Representatives in March of that year. She reported the rape to police and the House leadership and requested accommodations to protect her from further harassment, including the ability to work remotely, but her requests were denied.
The suit claims that instead, House leadership subjected her to humiliating treatment and retaliation, including “demeaning comments, exclusion from events and meetings, and other retaliatory actions.”
The lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages and an injunction against Idaho House leadership to ensure that no other interns or employees will be subjected to a hostile work environment.
“No one should be subjected to the treatment and retaliation that Jane Doe endured,” said Doe’s attorney, Marc Elias. “We hope that this lawsuit sends a strong message to Idaho House leadership that such behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
The Idaho House of Representatives has not yet commented on the lawsuit.
