Feminists and Lawmakers See a Turning Point

Feminist leaders and male lawmakers alike Thursday hailed the forced resignation of Sen. Bob Packwood (R-Ore.) as a “precedent-setting” event destined to become a watershed in the struggle against sexual harassment.

The 6-0 vote by the Ethics Committee to recommend Packwood’s expulsion from the Senate,a decision that set the stage for his resignation, “demonstrates responsibility to . . . the Senate, the voters and especially the women of the United States,” said Anita Perez Ferguson, the new president of the National Women’s Political Caucus.

Although the general principle that sexual harassment in the workplace is not acceptable has been established for some time, leaders of many women’s organizations said the cause was dealt a blow four years ago by the Senate showdown between law professor Anita F. Hill and then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Hill testified at Thomas’ confirmation hearing that he had sexually harassed her when she worked for him in a previous job.

The treatment of Hill by some senators during the hearings--and by conservative critics after they were finished--contributed to a climate that left women fearful of coming forward with allegations of sexual harassment, representatives of women’s organizations said. But the way the Ethics Committee dealt with the charges against Packwood may represent a long step toward changing those impressions--and serve to send a signal to would-be harassers, many lawmakers said.

*

Ethics Committee Chairman Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) suggested that the vote demonstrated that attitudes have changed since women’s groups complained that many male lawmakers did not “get it,” a reference to their failure to understand the concerns of women expressed during the Thomas hearings. “There can be no doubt today that the Ethics Committee got it,” McConnell said.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who had demanded public hearings on the case, said the committee had delivered “a very clear message that the Senate has zero-tolerance for the type of behavior he [Packwood] exhibited.”

Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), a member of the committee, said Packwood “has shown a flagrant disregard for the victims, the Senate and the citizens of Oregon.” Mikulski had insisted that “the victims’ complaints be taken seriously and given value,” and “that the women who came forward be given a fair shake [and] be treated with dignity and respect.”

Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-Colo.) agreed, calling the Ethics Committee’s action “refreshing, a real sea change.”

The unfolding events are “certainly shaking the foundations of the club,” Schroeder added. “It’s no secret that these guys have protected each other over and over again. . . . Those days are over.

“More importantly, the vote sends a message that behavior like Sen. Packwood’s won’t be tolerated in the Senate,” Schroeder said. “You treat people who work for you with respect. They are not playthings, they are people.”

One woman saw an even larger point.

“It’s not just a message for the women’s movement or even for women. It’s for everyone,” said Maura Roche, who charged that Packwood read sexually explicit jokes to her when she was a 23-year-old intern in his office in 1989. “I hope this sends a message to everyone in power. If there is an abuse of power, there are very, very serious consequences. This wasn’t just a case about sexual harassment but a case about the abuse of power.”

Liz McKanna a Portland, Ore., attorney who represents Roche and Celia Lighthill, another of Packwood’s accusers, said she believes that the resolution of the matter will mark a turning point in a battle against sexual harassment that had ebbed after the Thomas hearing.

*

“I think women will be willing to come forward now . . . “ McKanna said. “There was a feeling of void . . . that there might not be a remedy, that people in high office might be able to get away with it.”

“Now we are told [they] can’t,” she said. “I don’t think any of us had confidence that he would be asked to leave the Senate. . . . We were told it was simply not going to happen in this political climate. Now we are told something that’s very positive and powerful.”

Cimons reported from Washington and Conner from Seattle.

* KEY ADVOCATE: Sen. Barbara Boxer feels vindicated after leading the drive for Packwood hearings. A18

* RELATED STORIES, GRAPHIC, PHOTOS: A16-A17