Hillary Clinton has long been a vocal proponent for women in the workplace and the importance of pay equity between women and men. But a new oversight report from the Office of the Inspector General, the State Department’s main watchdog group, suggests that the former Secretary of State’s rhetoric may speak louder than her actions.
The Washington Times reports that the OIG found that harassment complaints lodged by State Department employees nearly tripled during from 2011 to 2014, years when first Hillary Clinton and then fellow Democrat John Kerry held the top post. In spite of this drastic increase, the State Department still does not require employees to participate in anti-harassment training.
According to the Times:
The report states that formal harassment claims rose from 88 cases in 2011, during Mrs. Clinton’s third year as America’s top diplomat, to 248 in 2014, Mr. Kerry’s second year as secretary. Hundreds more informal complaints were lodged during the same period.
Last year, 43 percent of the new complaints alleged harassment or unfair hirings or promotions, while 38 percent raised sex discrimination or reprisals, the report said.
The Office of the Inspector General which put out the report noted that part of the increase may be due to greater awareness among employees, but still targeted Clinton and Kerry for failing to ensure that their employees receive training in these issues.
The report states:
In 2013, the Secretary [Kerry] issued a statement on discriminatory and sexual harassment and emphasized in his message to Department employees his commitment to prevent and eliminate discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace. Mandatory training for Department employees would strengthen this message and ensure that all employees are aware of their responsibilities and rights.
The Times article calls the OIG’s report “a disclosure that could have political implications for election campaigns.” Unfortunately for Hillary Clinton, it’s hardly the first.




