Recently, a former legislative intern posted allegations against Sen. Gene Davis on Instagram. While the former intern did not file an official complaint, after learning about the concerning allegations, President J. Stuart Adams directed an independent investigation to review the claims. The Senate hired two attorneys with experience in workplace harassment and discrimination investigations to conduct the independent investigation. After interviewing multiple witnesses and assessing their credibility, the investigators concluded that it was more likely than not that Sen. Davis’ interactions with the intern during her legislative internship violated Senate policies.
“I have removed Sen. Davis from all president-appointed committee assignments and urged him to resign from the Senate,” said President Adams. “We strive to create and maintain to have a respectful and professional work environment and are committed to addressing any allegations. I want to reiterate that the Senate does not and will not tolerate workplace harassment, which is why I directed an independent investigation to evaluate the allegations.”
“Based on the independent investigator’s findings, the Senate Democrats will take action this afternoon during our caucus meeting,” said Sen. Karen Mayne. “We have accepted his resignation from our caucus immediately. He will no longer serve in his caucus leadership role and has been removed from his caucus-appointed committees, which include the Executive Appropriations Committee and the Legislative Management Committee.”
The Legislature has an unwavering commitment to create a welcoming work environment for all, including enhancing harassment prevention efforts. Each year, elected officials, employees and interns are required to take workplace harassment prevention training and are provided with the Utah State Legislature’s workplace discrimination and harassment policy. Additionally, they are informed of the process to report an issue and told how to file an official complaint.
