Capitol Hill Cashier Can Offer Sweet Talk Along With Coffee

Senators and their staffers carried cards and flowers to one of Capitol Hill’s basement coffee shops Tuesday to welcome back a cashier who likes to call her customers “baby.”

Supervisors had transferred Bernice Harris, 58, to a Capitol cafeteria last week after a customer accused her of sexual harassment because she called him “baby.” But later they sent her back to the coffee shop.

“She’s going to retire in May, and for the last month or two of her career we told her to look out for this guy and not to call him ‘baby,’ ” said Benjamin Wimberly, an administrative assistant to the architect of the Capitol, which manages the Capitol’s coffee shops and cafeterias.

After more than 30 years on the job, Harris has become known for her bright smile and her habit of affectionately calling all of her customers “baby,” “baby-cakes,” “sugar” or some similar endearment.

“She’s wonderful,” said Bo Morrison, who works for Sen. David Pryor (D-Ark.). “She’s got so many names it’s amazing.”

“She’s just a burst of sunshine, a friendly, wonderful, lovely woman,” said Karen Gravois, an aide to Sen. Charles S. Robb (D-Va.).

The trouble started last week when Christopher Held, a part-time aide to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), complained to his office manager. He wrote Harris a letter saying he felt uncomfortable with the comment and suggesting it could be a form of sexual harassment.

An upset Harris showed the letter to her supervisors, and shortly afterward they moved her from the shop in the Russell Senate Office Building.

After hearing of the transfer, workers in Pryor’s office circulated a petition calling for Harris’ return, while staffers in Robb’s office wrote her a letter of support.

Wimberly said sexual harassment allegations must be taken seriously but he didn’t think Harris’ remark was salacious.

“She’s called me baby, and she’s never offended me. There never have been any other complaints about it,” he said.