Green party activist says sexual harassment claim was dismissed

A Green party activist has alleged that she was sexually harassed and pestered in her own home by a senior official after she took part in a scheme to offer accommodation to members during a party conference.

The activist, who does not want to be named, reported the alleged harassment in 2012 but was told the party’s procedures did “not include investigating unwitnessed incidents as this would be a criminal matter”.

She made a formal complaint to the Green party that the senior official in question made repeated passes at her, offered to massage her and tried to kiss her in her kitchen before she had to shut herself in her bedroom for her own safety. The senior official sent her an apology through the party and said he would attend a course on sexual harassment issues.

But after reviewing the case, the Green party found it did not consider the behaviour to be “sexual harassment nor bullying nor intimidation – either by your account of the incident or his”, adding that it could see “no reasonable ground for fear that he might commit an offence under any of these categories in the future”.

In one email seen by the activist, an official said it was not the party’s place to “deal with her issues” because they had taken up too much time.

The Green party, now led by Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley, has opened an independent review into her case and it is understood the senior official in question is no longer in a position of authority in the party.

However, the activist said she was telling her story to the Guardian after years of trying to get redress from the party, which she said subsequently suspended her without giving her a copy of the allegations against her. She says she was not given an official reason for the suspension.

In her complaint about her house guest in 2012, she said: “[He] made increasing sexual advances on me, none of which I had in any way invited and all of which I rejected either by word or action.

“The advances took the form of increased casual touches on arm and shoulder
which he had been doing during conference. Later he tried to keep touching my
knee until I moved further away. He then offered to massage my feet which I
refused. Then he attempted to hold my hand which I withdrew.

“[He] then offered to bring me tea in bed in the morning, which suggestion
I turned down as I felt that this was a ruse to intrude on me in my bedroom. I
went into the kitchen to get a cup of tea before bed and [he] followed me
in and attempted to kiss me, which I reacted to by turning away and avoiding
contact.

“By this time I was feeling a little scared, especially as a few drinks had
impaired my reactions and ability to cope with the situation. I went to bed and
took the precaution of wedging my bedroom door to prevent it being opened as
I feared that [he] might make some excuse to intrude into my room.”

She had been alone with the man at the time, after offering to put him up for two nights under the party’s official member accommodation scheme.

The activist told the party that she was “intimidated, offended and significantly frightened by this behaviour and felt that [he] had taken advantage of the random proximity occasioned by my wish to be helpful by offering a visiting member accommodation.”

Shortly afterwards, she received an apology from the senior official in question, sent via the party, in which he said he was “very sorry that I was not more restrained and respectful to your position and feelings, and humbly ask that you forgive me for my serious failure”.

He also promised not to contact her in future, not to attend meetings of her local party, to attend a course of instruction on sexual harassment issues, and to ensure others could not be put in the same position that she was in future.

However, the complaint was investigated by the Green party and the senior official was exonerated. In a letter to the complainant, the party said: “We can see no reason why he should not carry out his duties ... without reservation or exception, nor why you should have any concern for your safety at any event where [he] is present.”

The activist made subsequent efforts to get the complaint reviewed for faulty processes, as the member was not suspended, but was told nothing more could be done.

She sent a further email saying that she was left “feeling traumatised and suicidal by the mishandling of the complaint by the Green party, which was worse than the original harassment incident”, but was then accidentally copied into an email suggesting her correspondence should be ignored.

In the exchange, one party official wrote to another: “I really don’t think it is our place to deal with her issues any more. Enough time has been taken already. Would you like me to reply or just to ignore her mails? I am afraid that I may not come across as sympathetic as she might expect me to be.”

A Green party spokesperson said the case was now being reviewed and that a new disciplinary system has been in force since 2016.

“The Green party takes bullying, harassment and sexual harassment very seriously and is committed to challenging it,” she said. “The national Green party accommodation scheme ended in 2015. In 2016 a new body, the disciplinary committee, took over responsibility for disciplinary matters.

“In November 2017 the Green party began a thorough review of procedures for dealing with bullying, harassment and sexual harassment claims. An external HR specialist has been commissioned to examine previous complaints and how they were handled and these findings, along with the latest training, will be incorporated into new procedures for dealing with bullying, harassment and sexual harassment claims.

“The original complaint was handled before the current complaints process, overseen by the disciplinary committee, came into force. The case is now being independently reviewed, by people unconnected to the original complaint and complaint handling process.

“We are not able to comment any further on the case while that review is ongoing.”