Bill Anderson was an Iowa State Senator. The taxpayers of Iowa paid $1.75 million, a settlement on a $2.2 million lawsuit brought by a Republican staffer who complained about the sexual harassment that was pervasive in the GOP Senate Caucus and its staff. She was fired seven hours after she submitted a memo detailing allegations. This also prompted a Senate investigation that was more cover-up than investigation finding no “provable” incidents. And this was after the jury found for the fired woman.
Bill Anderson was included among the men making it a bad place for women to work by saying inappropriate things about women, but only when male staffers were presence. In his own deposition, Anderson said he walked away when people told inappropriate jokes.
When he was interviewed by the Des Moines Register, he said he didn’t recall anything inappropriate. “I guess I never experienced anything that would be described as toxic or inappropriate,” Anderson said. He resigned, not in disgrace, but to become the executive director of the Cherokee Area Economic Development Corp.
- Des Moines Register: Capitol harassment: Here are the detailed allegations against current and past Iowa lawmakers and staff members
