© 2024 WFSU Public Media
WFSU News · Tallahassee · Panama City · Thomasville
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Sen Prez Says New Harassment Reporting Policy An Improvement

Nick Evans

With two members leaving in disgrace this year, the Florida Senate is facing a barrage of questions about sexual harassment policies in the Capitol. 

President Joe Negron insists recent changes to the notification policy were meant to improve reporting. 

“The bottom line is we have zero tolerance—we have a pro-report policy," Negron says.  "The new policy that came out in the administrative rules actually elevated the seriousness of any allegation.  Instead of sending it somewhere in the bureaucracy to say that the buck stops in the Senate president’s office.”

Those changes encouraged reporting to an immediate supervisor or the Senate chief of staff instead of a human resources representative.  Negron’s office later clarified employees should report harassment to any official they feel comfortable with.

Nick Evans came to Tallahassee to pursue a masters in communications at Florida State University. He graduated in 2014, but not before picking up an internship at WFSU. While he worked on his degree Nick moved from intern, to part-timer, to full-time reporter. Before moving to Tallahassee, Nick lived in and around the San Francisco Bay Area for 15 years. He listens to far too many podcasts and is a die-hard 49ers football fan. When Nick’s not at work he likes to cook, play music and read.