Council Members Push Tougher Harassment Laws After Diaz Comments

NEW YORK — Two City Council members want to tighten up rules for reporting sexual harassment after one of their colleagues implied doing so would make him a "rat."

The lawmakers, Helen Rosenthal and Ritchie Torres, cast the proposals as a response to Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr.'s reported remarks last week that he would not become a "rat" if he observed sexual harassment in the Council's offices. Diaz has apologized but said he was "misrepresented."

Rosenthal and Torres, both Democrats, proposed bills Monday that would force more reporting on sexual harassment investigations and require Council members to report inappropriate behavior to the city's Department of Investigation.

"Those of you who choose to stand by in silence — you are something more contemptible than a rat. You are an accomplice, an enabler, and there is a special place in hell for people like you," Torres said at a news conference outside City Hall.

"And so the attempt by Council Member Ruben Diaz Sr. to create a culture of silence and secrecy around sexual harassment is beneath contempt," he added.

Neither of the bills has been drafted yet. But the man the proposals were crafted to rebuke welcomed them with open arms.

In a written statement, Diaz congratulated Torres and Rosenthal on their "much needed legislation for elected officials and managers to report sexual harassment."

"I am ready, willing and looking forward to co-sponsoring and supporting this wonderful piece of legislation," the Bronx Democrat said.

Rosenthal said her proposed bill aims to "double down" on existing law, which requires managerial city officials — including Council members — to report sexual harassment to equal employment officers, who help implement anti-discrimination rules.

The bill would require equal employment officers to disclose to the city's Equal Employment Practices Commission information about reported cases of supervisors sexually harassing subordinate employees, according to Rosenthal.

The commission would then report to the public every six months on how many times harassment was reported, how many investigations are ongoing, how many reports are substantiated and the consequences that came from substantiated cases, Rosenthal said.

"All of this reporting is going to give us patterns," said Rosenthal, a Manhattan Democrat who chairs the Council's Committee on Women. "We’re in a time of powerful change and we must continue to shine a spotlight on the efforts that government is making to root out commonplace sexual harassment."

Torres's bill would require all city officials, Council members included, to report sexual harassment to the Department of Investigation, which he said generally handles allegations of corruption, fraud and abuse.

"We’re expanding the meaning of abuse to include sexual harassment specifically to elevate the seriousness of the reporting," said Torres, a Bronx Democrat who chairs the Oversight and Investigations Committee.

The lawmakers touted the proposals as two of their colleagues — Councilmen Barry Grodenchik and Andy King — face disciplinary proceedings over alleged sexual harassment.

The Council's Standards and Ethics Committee is set to hold a hearing Tuesday related to allegations that Grodenchik paid unwelcome attention to a staffer by kissing her on the cheek and talking about her weight.