In many ways, the empty seats said more than the PowerPoint slides.
An event to educate New Hampshire legislators on State House anti-harassment policies drew sparse attendance Wednesday, with fewer than 40 of 400 House representatives showing up.
Organized by Terry Pfaff, the House chief of staff, the morning meeting was intended to refresh lawmakers on the anti-harassment handbook, which covers conduct by employees, legislators and others who work in the State House.
But against the backdrop of a prominent national #MeToo movement to combat sexual harassment and misconduct, few in the New Hampshire House bothered to show. The event’s setting – the 500-strong Representatives Hall – set up an uncomfortable contrast.
The 30 to 40 who did show up represented both parties. Some were senior legislative staff; others were senators not directly invited to be there.
Rep. Debra Altschiller, D-Stratham, said she was disappointed by the turnout, and called for the trainings to become mandatory. Rep. Mindi Messmer, D-Rye, agreed.
New Hampshire is one of 18 states that doesn’t require its lawmakers undergo the training, according to the Associated Press.
Speaking after the training, Pfaff said that given the heavy legislative schedule, he wasn’t surprised by the low turnout. Many, he said, previously received harassment training in past orientations. Pfaff added that the presentation materials and a video of the event would be sent to all representatives.
“They’re all going to get it anyway, and we know that they’re very busy,” he said of the missing legislators.
The State House’s record on anti-harassment training sessions is spotty. While sessions generally are carried out during orientation at the beginning of each biennium – months after state elections – the House has lapsed on training in recent years, Pfaff said.
Presentations were delivered by Paula Booth, director of the New Hampshire Employee Assistance Program and Anne Edwards, an associate attorney general. Both speakers emphasized the breadth of conduct that qualifies as harassment under New Hampshire’s policy, including inappropriate touching, sexually suggestive comments, overly personal text messages, and explicit or unappreciated jokes.
And they added that the unique environment of a legislative body, packed with lawmakers and lobbyists who interact with no clear lines of authority, creates distinct challenges with dealing with the behavior. In closing remarks, Pfaff said it is up to lawmakers to make reports to the Legislative Ethics Committee.
“If you see something, say something,” Pfaff told the audience. “Don’t hesitate to report it. Hold yourselves out as the leaders you are, and set an example for folks.”
Despite the low turnout, Rep. Altschiller said, Wednesday’s event was a promising start that would help enact what she said was a needed culture change in the capital.
“When you still have an environment that puts the observer or the person who is being targeted in a position of having to do a cost-benefit analysis of whether or not what they’re bringing forward is going to be supported … then you haven’t really changed the environment, you’ve just checked a box,” she said.
“That’s what this is all about,” she added.
(Ethan DeWitt can be reached at edewitt@cmonitor.com, or on Twitter at @edewittNH.)