D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed an executive order Tuesday banning romantic relationships between supervisors and their immediate subordinates who are employed by the city.
The new order updates Ms. Bowser’s original 2017 sexual harassment policy, which now says outside investigators can handle sexual harassment claims against people who report to her directly.
The update also calls on the Sexual Harassment Taskforce to review the local government’s policies and provide recommendations to reduce instances of harassment among staff.
Directors of D.C. government agencies will have to assign a person or group to resolve workplace relationship issues by Nov. 17, according to the new order.
Current relationships that are now banned under the new order will also have to be disclosed to the proper authority by Dec. 8.
“With this Mayor’s Order we are underscoring the message that DC Government does not and will not tolerate any form of sexual harassment. While that has always been our value, now we are putting in place an even stronger and clearer policy,” Ms. Bowser said in a statement. “This order will help ensure that everyone, at every level, is clear about our expectations.”
The order comes as Ms. Bowser deals with the fallout of sexual harassment claims made against her former right-hand man, John Falcicchio.
An internal investigation released in June found that Mr. Falcicchio “exposed his sexual organs” to a female staffer during one interaction and touched the woman in a sexual manner on two occasions last fall.
Investigators also confirmed that the former deputy mayor sent “unwanted, sexually explicit messages, including a graphic video,” to the female staffer and told her to come to his home for sex.
Mr. Falcicchio resigned from his post in March after the allegations first came to light.
The D.C. Council tasked the city’s Office of Inspector General to have an independent law firm investigate Mr. Falcicchio in July, but the funding technicalities have prevented the city from going forward with that directive.
