Arizona State Rep. Ugenti-Rita Makes Sexual Harassment Allegations

Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita [Photo from Youtube]

Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita has opened up about alleged sexual harassment she has faced since she first took office in 2010. The Scottsdale legislator described her experiences in a Facebook post.

Arizona has the highest number of female legislators in the country. Ugenti-Rita is the first Arizona politician to come forward with allegations in the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

Ugenti-Rita’s colleagues expressed “dismay” and gratitude on Facebook in response to her post.

Rep. Kirsten Engel: I am dismayed to hear about your experience with sexual harassment in the State House and what you interpreted as retaliation by members in the Senate. This should never, ever happen in any workplace, much less the Arizona legislature. As another AZ House member, I appreciate your willingness to speak out. I also appreciate and endorse your suggestion that the leaders of the House and Senate work together with interested members to create a formal process to encourage members and staff to report instances of sexual harassment and to deal with them in an accountable and appropriate manner.

Rep. TJ Shope: Thanks for sharing your story Michelle. I’ve enjoyed serving with you in my time at the Legislature.

AZ House of Representatives, District 23 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Republican Michelle Ugenti-Rita Incumbent 38.56% 69,758
Republican Jay Lawrence Incumbent 35.87% 64,903
Democratic Tammy Caputi 25.57% 46,255
    Total Votes 180,916
From Ballotpedia – Source: Arizona Secretary of State

Ugenti-Rita made news in 2014 when her ex-husband sought her text messages as part of divorce proceedings based on his belief that she was having an affair with a member of the Arizona House of Representatives staff. Ugenti-Rita claimed legislative privilege in an attempt to block the subpoena.

Ugenti-Rita’s Facebook post:

I would like to share my thoughts and experience regarding sexual harassment in the work place:

Sexual harassment in the workplace has been catapulted to the front of the national discussion and Arizona is not immune. Unfortunately, it took the situation in the entertainment industry to expose a systemic problem that has existed in many places for a very long time.

As someone who the public has entrusted to represent them at the state legislature to address the issues confronting our state, I feel a responsibility to address this matter as well. Almost immediately upon my arrival to the capitol, I experienced unwanted sexual advances and lewd and suggestive comments regarding my body and appearance from male colleagues. Unfortunately, what I thought would be a professional and respectful work environment was not the reality I was experiencing.

As the behavior became more aggressive and brazen, I could no longer ignore what was happening because being at the capitol and interacting with some of my peers became uncomfortable and intimidating as I established myself in this new role. Starting out in any industry puts one in a vulnerable position and these behaviors exploited and took advantage of my lack of familiarity with the dynamic I was in.

I brought what was happening to me to the attention of House leadership as that seemed to be the appropriate, and only, recourse available to me. While they were understanding and responsive to me, the lack of a traditional employer/employee relationship made it very difficult for them to deal with it in a meaningful way. Given the nature of the House of Representatives and that each member is duly elected, they were limited in what actions they could take to remedy the situation.

After taking this step, I continued to perform my duties and engage in the process. What quickly became apparent to me was that while my efforts were mostly successful in my own chamber, I encountered what felt like deliberate actions were taken directed only at me in the other chamber. As a result, I began to feel isolated and that I was being held to a different standard than the other members. Meaning I had to go above and beyond then norm to accomplish what others were able to do.

By sharing my experiences and how they have impacted my tenure in the legislature, I hope it encourages others to come forward to address sexual and/or workplace harassment whether they have been a victim or not. Also, I strongly encourage the leaders of both chambers, and any members that wish to participate, to create a formal process that encourages people to feel safe to raise instances of any harassment they are experiencing. This process should provide accountability and a resolution that is meaningful to achieve the ultimate goal of creating a safe work environment.

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