California’s mayors, city council members and other elected city and county officials will be required to take two hours of sexual harassment training under a new law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown Thursday. AB 1661 was authored by Assemblymembers Kevin McCarthy (D-Sacramento) and Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) and expands the requirements already placed on supervisors of California companies with over 50 employees.
“It is our hope that by requiring sexual harassment prevention training for local elected officials,” said Michelle Pariset from Sacramento Collective for Women’s Rights. “We can prevent the harassment that derails lives and careers as well as save cities from having to pay valuable taxpayer dollars on settlements.”
The training must occur within the first six months of assuming office or commencing employment and then every two years after that. It can be done at home, in person or online.
The legislation follows some high-profile sexual harassment scandals involving mayors of major California cities. In 2013, San Diego’s Bob Filner was forced to resign after more than a dozen women accused him of harassment. Sitting Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson was also accused of sexual harassment by a city employee.