McSweeney’s Sexual Harassment Payoff Transparency Bill Signed

A press release from State Rep. David McSweeney:

McSweeney Local Government Sexual Harassment Accountability Legislation Becomes Law

Springfield, IL –State Rep. David McSweeney’s (R-Barrington Hills) legislation shining a light on taxpayer-funded severance agreements stemming from sexual discrimination or harassment has been signed into law.

House Bill 4242 requires units of local government, school districts, community college districts, or other local taxing bodies to publish information about severance agreements with employees or contractors who have been found to have engaged in sexual harassment or sexual discrimination.

The legislation requires government bodies to publish information about the severance agreement on the internet and to make the information available to the news media within 72 hours of the approval of the agreement.

David McSweeney

“There should be zero tolerance for sexual harassment and discrimination,” McSweeney said.

“Public bodies should be held accountable for any and all ‘golden parachutes’, but especially in these cases.”

Rep. McSweeney filed the legislation in response to the Des Plaines Elementary School District 62 School Board approving a severance package of $127,000 to then-Superintendent Floyd Williams after he was accused of sexually harassing employees.

HB 4242 passed both the House and Senate unanimously. It was sponsored in the Senate by Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park).


Comments

McSweeney’s Sexual Harassment Payoff Transparency Bill Signed — 7 Comments

  1. Thanks McSweeney.

    But you should have included the state government, since most of the creeps that have been busted this year are in the state government.

    Perhaps you forgot?

    Or do you still think you can solve the states problems by pointing fingers at the local government?

    What a goof.

  2. Still don’t understand why tax dollars are used to settle these claims.

    Either buy insurance or go out of pocket, but tax dollars?

    Disclosure is nice but does not go far enough.

    In fact, severance packages under the cloud of scandal should be illegal.

  3. Knowing a bit about Springfield, I suspect that the votes were not available to do what you suggest.

  4. Thanks Cal. It looks like my mistake and McSweeney accomplished exactly that, no taxpayer funds to settled these claims. Well done David McSweeney.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *