County Will Tone Down Sexual Harassment Course Despite Worker Complaints, Inquiry Finds No Inappropriate Behavior

Spokane County is agreeing to slightly tone down its sexual harassment training course for employees, although an investigation revealed the instructor did not act inappropriately.

Twenty workers, most of them men, in the county’s public works central shop complained in a March 15 letter that the course video and instructor’s demonstration made them uncomfortable.

The letter claimed instructor Chris Johnson patted a class participant’s buttocks while saying, “You have a cute little butt.”

None of several employees interviewed by Human Resources Director Ben Duncan actually saw Johnson grab the worker’s buttocks. Johnson said it never happened.

The workers also claimed - wrongly - that the video showed a picture of a woman’s genital region. A woman on the video only describes the picture.

Duncan’s investigation revealed Johnson’s course received excellent reviews from most of the 1,500 participants. He also credits the course with helping reduce harassment complaints among the county’s work force from a high of seven in 1992 to one last year.

Duncan recommended to county commissioners Tuesday that Johnson drop one anecdote from her lecture. It’s a graphic account of how a man employed by the county sexually harassed her while she was investigating him for sexual harassment.

“We get to keep the film, which makes me happy,” Johnson said of the investigation.

She agreed to issue more disclaimers to class participants about the offensive nature of the class.

“In order for people to understand what sexual harassment is, how offensive sexual harassment can be, sometimes my class has to have offensive content,” Johnson said.

Joe Lyon, who repairs tires in the county shop, wrote the letter that was signed by 19 co-workers.

He said Johnson reached down toward the co-worker’s buttocks but he couldn’t see whether she made contact.

“She sure came awfully close,” he said. “Maybe I shouldn’t have put that in the letter. They are toning it down. I’m satisfied for now.”

Commissioner Steve Hasson applauded Duncan’s handling of the complaint.

“We certainly want the rank and file here to be aware of all the elements of sexual harassment and do what they can do to modify their behavior as necessary,” Hasson said.

“On the other hand, we don’t want to create a situation in our harassment courses that becomes uncomfortable for our participants. Then it becomes self-defeating.”

, DataTimes