Res. No. 2011 Title Resolution calling upon the appropriate committee of the Council of the City of New York to conduct an oversight hearing regarding allegations of sexual and racial harassment of women participating in the Work Experience Program. Body By Council Members Perkins, Espada, Freed, Henry, Linares, Lopez, Moskowitz, Quinn and Watkins; also Council Members Carrion, Harrison, Leffler, Marshall and Michels Whereas, Incidences of sexual and/or racial harassment shock the conscience of New Yorkers; and Whereas, It is and has been the policy of the Council of the City of New York to fight the causes of sexual and racial harassment; and Whereas, It was recently reported that the federal government has sued the Giuliani administration for doing too little to protect women participating in the Work Experience Program (WEP) from sexual and racial harassment by their supervisors; and Whereas, The lawsuit, which was brought by the United States Department of Justice, accuses the City of subjecting four women participating in WEP to a hostile work environment by not responding vigorously after they complained of racial and sexual harassment while working in WEP jobs; and Whereas, Such a lawsuit is not surprising given that the Giuliani administration and the Commissioner of the Human Resources Administration (HRA), Jason Turner, have maintained that welfare recipients in WEP jobs should not be considered employees and should not be afforded the protections provided in state and federal laws for employees; and Whereas, The allegations in the federal lawsuit are frightening and signal a throwback to times when sexual and racial harassment were open and acceptable forms of behavior; and Whereas, The fact that the alleged victims of this sexual and racial harassment were extremely vulnerable, indigent women indicates a pattern that makes these allegations even more egregious; and Whereas, Those individuals working in WEP jobs work in service to the community and should not be subjected to such forms of hatred; and Whereas, The City cannot accept such behavior and must do all it can to make certain that it does not occur in our welfare programs; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the appropriate committee of the Council of the City of New York conduct an oversight hearing regarding sexual and racial harassment of women participating in the Work Experience Program. RN LS No. 4488 07/23/01 |10
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