To the Editor:

Regarding the recent sexual harassment suit of $2.2 million against the staff of the Iowa Republican caucus, to have our Iowa state legislators allow this behavior is unbelievable and simply outrageous.

Adding to the outrage is the fact that the $2.2 million will be paid from the general fund, which means that Iowa taxpayers will be footing this bill.

Iowans need to take a stand against this ridiculous behavior. Have any of the perpetrators of the sexual harassment actually been fired? What was their punishment, or have their superiors simply looked the other way?

To the Sioux City legislator who said that the $2.2 million is not a large sum in relation to the overall budget, let me be clear: This is not simply about money–this is about egregious misbehavior which should not be condoned in any way, shape or form, and to suggest that the sum is trifling shows, once again, a legislator who completely misses the point.

The wrongness of this situation would be borderline comical if it weren’t so pathetic. Iowans should expect and demand far more from our legislators.

Laurie Graham

Webster City