O’DONNELL PRAISES LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP FOR MOVING TO UPDATE SEXUAL
HARRASSMENT POLICY; VOWS TO FOLLOW SUIT IF ELECTED MAYOR

BAYONNE – Bayonne candidate for Mayor, Jason O’Donnell, today praised
Senator Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin for working to update the State’s sexual harassment policies in accordance with the national and statewide sentiment.  O’Donnell also pledged to immediately review and strengthen the city’s sexual harassment policies if elected mayor.

This issue was already of critical importance in making sure everyone has a safe workplace environment, but it has taken on even greater
importance following a report that the city of Bayonne and Mayor Davis are being sued for sexual harassment and illegal termination by a
former employee.

“No one should have to put up with the harassment this employee has talked about publicly for months.  She has been very public and very vocal with her allegations and, if proven true, they are simply appalling.

This lawsuit may also end up costing Bayonne taxpayers millions of dollars and if that occurs then there is no one to blame but Mayor Jimmy Davis.

It’s clear that the mayor will continue to say that the text messages are a ‘joke’ but I don’t find the allegations to be funny and I don’t think Bayonne taxpayers being sued is funny.  It’s too late for the mayor to take responsibility for his actions but if I’m elected I will immediately review and strengthen the City’s sexual harassment
policies, and I will use Majority Leader Weinberg and Assembly Speaker Coughlin’s leadership as the model.”

Senate Majority Leader Weinberg and Speaker CoFollowing a study conducted by the Associated Press that showed New Jersey’s sexual harassment policy is among the weakest in the nation, Senator Weinberg
called for mandatory training for state legislators and their employees.  According to a report in NJ Advance Media, she had previously requested a complete review of the policy by the Legislative Services Commission.

Yesterday, Speaker Coughlin put out a statement that read, in part:

“There must be absolutely zero tolerance for sexual harassment by members and staff of the General Assembly. I have directed our
executive director and counsel to put in place a policy that does everything possible to prevent harassment, improve training and
protect victims — including, crucially, the ability for victims to come forward without fear of retaliation.

“While it will take some time to ensure that we develop the most stringent policy possible, I would like to make it crystal clear to every single legislator and staff that I take the issue of sexual
harassment very seriously and that every single one of us deserves a workplace that is free from harassment.”