It has been reported by Breitbart News that Democratic Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas will be resigning from two key posts after she was sued for retaliation against one of her staffers.
The New York Times reports that the Democrat will be resigning from her position as chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in addition to temporarily stepping down from her position as House Judiciary subcommittee chairman.
Breitbart reports:
The Times, citing officials familiar with the matter, reports some of the foundation’s board members told Jackson Lee last week that she would face a “vote of removal” if she did not resign.
The staffer, identified as Jane Doe, alleges she was raped by a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation intern coordinator, Damien Jones, in 2015. The unnamed plaintiff said she has evidence, including text message, telephone conservations, and DNA to prove the encounter occurred. According to the accuser, she was fired from her position in March 2018 after notifying the Texas Democrat’s chief of staff, Glenn Rushing, that she intendedto take legal action against the foundation. The lawsuit states she was let go several weeks later, citing “budgetary issues.”
A nonprofit organization associated with the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, offers up scholarships as well as additional programs meant to spark leadership among the African American community.
Later, Jones spent time working for former Democratic Representative Robert “Beto” O’Rourke’s (of Texas) failed campaign. BuzzFeed spoke to a spokesperson who worked with the campaign. The spokesperson stated that they had not been aware of the allegations against Jones previously and they “no longer [have] a relationship” with him.
“The plaintiff claims she lost 50 pounds, suffered from mental health issues, and lost wages following the alleged incident. Doe is seeking $75,000 in damages from Jackson Lee’s office and the foundation,” Breitbart reports.
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation promised in a Wednesday statement that they would cooperate with an investigation into the allegations.
“We are deeply concerned about the welfare of all our interns and fellows, including ‘Jane Doe,’ the former C.B.C.F. intern who recently filed suit,” stated spokesperson C.J. Epps. “It is C.B.C.F.’s position that the foundation did not have the purview to terminate Ms. Doe from a staff position in a congressional office, and therefore, did not take such action nor recommend or influence said decision.”
In another statement, a press representative for Sheila Jackson Lee said that the lawmaker has confidence that she will ultimately be “exonerated of any retaliatory or otherwise improper conduct.”
Ebony Tucker, a spokesperson for the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, responded to recent allegations, saying that while Jackson Lee has remained a “strong ally” of women’s rights, the organization will not longer be supporting her “continued lead sponsorship” of the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization. “We begin and end all of our work with supporting survivors and support Jane Doe and many others who have been unsupported in their attempts to speak out,” Tucker said.