Collins lawyer: Harwood’s story ‘fiction’
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October 19, 2002
Lawyer Stephen Dennis accused House Speaker John Harwood of “concocting” a
false version of the events that resulted in a settlement of the former legislative researcher’s… sexual harassment case.
According to Dennis, in recent public statements Speaker Harwood has mischaracterized events leading to a settlement of a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by client Wendy Collins.
Dennis told the Providence Journal that
Wendy stands by the allegations that she has made that it was oral sex for retention of work, and the retaliation, as a result, when she refused. She stood by it then. She stands by it now.
Harwood has been “on a campaign to try to undo the political damage” that has resulted from the August, 2002 disclosure of a sexual harassment claim against him filed by Collins in workers’ compensation court.
Collins was reassigned to a different position with the state and paid a $75,000 settlement for stress and wrongful termination “after agreeing to redact the words ‘sexual harassment‘ from her court filing”.
Seizing on this, “the usually aloof Harwood has gone on a public relations tour to try to clear his name and keep what is considered the most politically powerful position in the state: House speaker.” In so doing, however, Dennis claims Harwood has completely mischaracterized the facts of the case and made false statements about Collins’ workers’ compensation settlement in the media.
Source: The Providence Journal
October 19, 2002
Page A1
emphasis added
