Caning Conroy: A Fitting Punishment
* Re: “Conroy Paid Aide Suspended in Sex Harassment Case” (Oct. 26). The average man has 66 pounds of muscle, 40 pounds of bone and 3.25 pounds of brain, which seems to explain a lot of things. The Mick was reprimanded for violating the sexual harassment policy by embracing, kissing, asking for back rubs and making inappropriate remarks to a clerical worker.
Let’s make these violations punishable by caning, his preferred form of punishment.
To demonstrate that punishment by caning is not too severe, perhaps he would voluntarily assume the position on the [Assembly] floor while Ms. [Robyn] Boyd, the center of his attentions, took one whack for each violation to remind him that sexual harassment really is wrong. Perhaps his ex-chief of staff, Pete Conaty, would also be willing to help demonstrate the effectiveness of caning on changing inappropriate behavior.
RICHARD A. HEIN
Fullerton
* The Assembly Rules Committee found that Assemblyman Mickey Conroy and his former chief of staff, Pete Conaty, created an office environment that condoned the sexual harassment of staff. As a result of that finding, this same Rules Committee recommended not only sexual harassment and sensitivity training for Conroy and his staff, but that Conaty be suspended without pay for one week.
Now we are being informed that Conroy reimbursed Conaty for that loss of pay out of his campaign contributions. Conroy and Conaty are being sued and we, the taxpayers, will be paying for their defense and any awards granted the plaintiff.
This is the same Conroy who periodically introduces his measure requiring that juvenile graffiti vandals be paddled in court. Since he is so fond of public paddling as a way to humiliate young graffiti punks, he should be in agreement that any state legislator found to create an office environment condoning sexual harassment be publicly paddled on the Assembly floor. The Women’s Caucus of the Assembly should be in charge of carrying out the paddling forthwith.
MANNIE COSTALES
Lake Forest