Indiana cases highlighted in national report on ‘pervasive’ statehouse sexual harassment problem

A new national report on sexual harassment in U.S. state legislatures includes two lawmakers in the Indiana statehouse – Democratic state Sens. David Niezgodski and Greg Taylor – among 11 new cases nationwide revealed in 2024.

The “Abuse of Power” report, from the National Women’s Defense League, reported that the new allegations reported in 2024 in nine states including Indiana are part of at least 398 incidents of sexual harassment allegedly committed by 144 sitting state lawmakers since 2013.

The organization estimates that actual incidents are likely much higher due to underreporting by survivors, which is common in sexual harassment and assault cases.

The two Indiana cases were revealed by IndyStar reporting in 2024 and led to Taylor being removed from a legislative leadership post and the Indiana Democratic Party creating an ethics committee. Niezgodski described the matter as a private personnel matter and has said he regrets how he acted. Taylor initially apologized after allegations were revealed before categorically denying the accusations.

Emma Davidson Tribbs, director of the National Women’s Defense League, a nonpartisan group that aims to prevent harassment and protect survivors, said there needs to be more action taken and accountability in state legislatures in order to address the problem.

“Our latest research reinforces what we already knew: the problem of sexual harassment in statehouses is pervasive, damaging and covered up,” Davidson Tribbs said. “These abuses of power that not only inflict trauma, but impede policy making, waste taxpayer resources and disproportionately impact the leadership of women and minorities in government.”

The report also revealed that one in three U.S. state lawmakers in a recent survey reported experiencing or witnessing sexual harassment in their statehouse.

The extent of the problem in Indiana is unclear. IndyStar reported last year that legislative leaders are refusing to reveal the number of harassment complaints received.

“As an advocate for women in Indiana and an active participant in Hoosier political workspaces, I’m appalled by the ongoing pattern of sexual harassment and the lack of appetite to make the substantive, common sense changes necessary to fix it,” said Elise Shrock, a Democratic strategist and former Indiana Statehouse staffer, as part of the report.

The report also mentions sexual harassment allegations impacting Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett’s office. IndyStar reporting in 2024 revealed former Hogsett’s chief of staff Thomas Cook allegedly sexually harassed three subordinates over a decade. The mayor knew about at least one of the allegations and another case involving Cook’s relationship with a subordinate but continued to work with Cook.

Lauren Roberts, one of the people who said she was harassed by Cook, said that she’s spent more than a decade dealing with the situation, which was made worse by “negligent choices made by Mayor Hogsett, the Indiana Democratic Party, and others at the highest levels of power.” Those choices allowed Cook to prey on other women, she said.

“We need a radical shift away from the culture of abuse that exists at all levels of government and politics, and we need systems that protect survivors and hold abusers fully accountable,” Roberts said.

Though the recent reporting in Indiana has focused on allegations against Democratic officials, the national report makes clear that it’s a bipartisan problem. Between 2013 and 2024, instances of harassment are nearly equal between the Republican and Democratic parties, according to the report.

Indiana was highlighted in the 31-page report, the only state to get its own “close up” page describing the extent of the issue in the Hoosier state and its political ramifications.

“Indiana’s government workspaces, including the state legislature, were rocked by a series of sexual harassment accusations that spanned multiple levels of leadership, exposing deep cracks in accountability and ethics,” according to the report.”

Contact senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at hcolombo@indystar.com. Sign up for our free weekly politics newsletter, Checks & Balances, curated by IndyStar political and government reporters.