Arizona paid $2M to settle sexual harassment claims over past 10 years
Dec 21, 2017, 12:19 PM | Updated: 9:07 pm
(Facebook Photo/Arizona Capitol Museum)
(Facebook Photo/Arizona Capitol Museum)
PHOENIX — Multiple Arizona agencies paid a total of nearly $2 million over the past decade to settle 24 sexual harassment claims, state documents showed.
The total spent on settlements was $1,992,830.36.
“We expect settlement decisions to be made judiciously,” Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s office said in a statement.
The agencies that used taxpayer money to settle the claims included the departments of corrections, transportation and economic securities, in addition to the superior court system and state universities.
The Department of Corrections paid more than $900,000 to settle five sexual harassment claims, the most of any agency by far.
The agriculture department was second on the list. It spent $400,000 to settle a single claim.
The Department of Health Services was third after paying more than $250,000 to settle two claims.
The full list of the settlement amounts is in the table below.
The governor’s office also released information on claims that were made after 2015. Those were still under investigation.
“Separate from a settlement, we have an expectation that any substantiated claim of harassment or improper workplace conduct be addressed expeditiously — whether it be training, disciplinary action, or ultimately termination,” Ducey’s office said.
It was unknown how many of the claims resulted in terminations or firings.
The governor’s office also said the settlements were not an admission of guilt.
On Wednesday, the Arizona Department of Administration said all 33,000 of the state’s employees would undergo a new sexual harassment training program that would begin next month.
“Every single employee will be exposed to this training once a year,” spokeswoman Elizabeth Alvarado-Thorson said.
“The new training component really is a good overview on the standards of conduct that’s expected.”
| Agency | Allegations | Loss date | Resolution | Amount paid | Date paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Arizona University | Are/include sexual harassment | 10/27/2001 | Settled | $11,932.93 | 1/4/2017 |
| Dept. Economic Security | Are/include sexual harassment | 3/28/2004 | Settled | $10,000 | 2/21/2007 |
| Superior Court | Are/include sexual harassment | 1/18/2005 | Settled | $50,000 | 3/23/2007 |
| Arizona State University | Are/include sexual harassment | 1/18/2005 | Settled | $50,000 | 4/13/2007 |
| Dept. Economic Security | Are/include sexual harassment | 8/16/2004 | Settled | $10,000 | 6/6/2007 |
| Land Dept. | Are/include sexual harassment | 11/21/2005 | Settled | $18,000 | 7/17/2007 |
| Dept. of Corrections | Are/include sexual harassment | 1/18/2005 | Settled | $30,000 | 2/15/2008 |
| Dept. of Corrections | Are/include sexual harassment | 2/4/2009 | Settled | $460,801.20 | 3/23/2011 |
| Arizona State University | Are/include sexual harassment | 8/31/2009 | Settled | $100,000 | 8/12/2011 |
| Dept. Economic Security | Are/include sexual harassment | 5/25/2011 | Settled | $3,500 | 10/4/2011 |
| Dept. of Corrections | Are/include sexual harassment | 12/17/2009 | Settled | $35,000 | 1/12/2012 |
| Dept. of Corrections | Are/include sexual harassment | 11/5/2008 | Settled | $182,500 | 3/9/2012 |
| Dept. of Corrections | Are/include sexual harassment | 7/1/2010 | Settled | $200,000 | 2/20/2013 |
| Dept. of Administration | Are/include sexual harassment | 3/9/2007 | Settled | $42,500 | 8/12/2013 |
| Superior Court | Are/include sexual harassment | 5/24/2011 | Settled | $30,000 | 8/14/2013 |
| Dept. Health Services | Are/include sexual harassment | 3/28/2010 | Settled | $249,000 | 11/7/2013 |
| Dept. Agriculture | Are/include sexual harassment | 9/1/2007 | Settled | $400,000 | 12/26/2013 |
| Arizona State University | Are/include sexual harassment | 9/9/2011 | Settled | $44,000 | 3/27/2014 |
| Medical Examiner’s Office | Are/include sexual harassment | 6/19/2014 | Settled | $7,500 | 8/6/2014 |
| Dept. of Transportation | Are/include sexual harassment | 9/5/2013 | Settled | $13,000 | 8/25/2014 |
| Dept. of Transportation | Are/include sexual harassment | 6/2/2014 | Settled | $10,000 | 10/14/2014 |
| Dept. Health Services | Are/include sexual harassment | 10/21/2014 | Settled | $4,671.84 | 2/10/2015 |
| Dept. Education | Are/include sexual harassment | 12/12/2011 | Settled | $30,000 | 1/11/2016 |
| Dept. Juvenile Corrections | Are/include sexual harassment | 2/11/2011 | Settled | $424.39 | 8/4/2016 |
An earlier version of this story said Arizona had paid out nearly $2.1 million for 27 settlements. That number was reduced after state officials incorrectly attributed three settlements to sexual harassment claims.
