Florida Governor Rick Scott is ordering state agencies to develop training and reporting guidelines for sexual harassment.
Scott’s executive order requires training on harassment within 30 days for all new hires and additional training for supervisors. It also lays out requirements for investigating complaints. The order comes as numerous state officials face harassment allegations—including Scott’s pick for the Public Service Commission, former state Representative Ritch Workman.
“Ritch Workman, you know, did the right thing for his family,” Scott says. “I’m going to do everything I can to protect everybody in our state that’s why I did this executive order. I don’t go into conversations that I have with members of the Legislature.”
The AP reports Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto (R-Fort Myers) met with Scott shortly after he nominated Workman, but it’s unclear what they spoke about. Benacquisto later refused to confirm Workman, alleging he touched her and made “vulgar and inappropriate” gestures at a 2016 charity function.
Workman has since resigned, but says he doesn’t recall the incident.
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