An investigation that should have laid to rest a sexual harassment complaint against state Rep. Bill Seitz (R., Cincinnati) must now be revisited to have credibility.
The Ohio attorney general hired a private law firm to investigate a House employee’s claim that Mr. Seitz, the House majority leader, had worsened a hostile work environment when he allegedly made off-color remarks in a party, or roast, for a departing staffer in January.
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The firm exonerated Mr. Seitz, saying that the event was outside the House’s authority, that Mr. Seitz did not intend his remarks to be harmful, and that the woman who complained did not attend the party but read about it online.
The problem is that the outside firm hired by Attorney General Mike DeWine is a former long-time employer of Mr. Seitz. The Associated Press reported that Mr. Seitz was affiliated with the firm of Taft Stettinius & Hollister for more than 30 years, ending in 2014.
AG spokesman Dan Tierney said it was the firm’s professional responsibility to determine if there was a potential conflict, and none was declared. Mr. Tierney said the AG’s office is “displeased” that the law firm didn’t divulge its former association with Mr. Seitz.
Furthermore, the firm of Taft Stettinius & Hollister has been used by the House for two years now as its outside counsel for employee investigations. The request to use Hollister came from the House, which might have known of the conflict and prevented it from leaving egg on the AG’s face.
The House also said it asked Taft for any conflicts. The House, however, has expressed no concern with Taft’s work, and is eager to put the Seitz case behind it.
Whether any actual bias crept in may be questioned. Mr. Seitz was with the Cincinnati office, while the employee review was done in the Columbus office. Further, the attorney who did the review was a woman and had been on a short list to be nominated for a judgeship under Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland. Translation: She didn’t know Mr. Seitz, and as a woman and a Democrat would not likely be biased in Mr. Seitz’s favor.
Several female lawmakers had called for Mr. Seitz’s resignation because he made light of the sexual harassment claims that drove former state Sen. Cliff Hite (R., Findlay) from office. The House leadership agreed to train its members in avoiding sexual harassment.
In view of its seriousness, Mr. Seitz’s review should get at least an outside going-over by somebody with no conflict of interest.
First Published June 20, 2018, 9:21 p.m.
