We have been deeply dismayed by Gov. Josh Shapiro’s handling of a sexual harassment claim against a senior aide.

As Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA reported, Shapiro’s office “quietly entered into a settlement agreement to resolve allegations of sexual harassment against one of his most trusted senior aides weeks before the staffer resigned. ... The settlement contains a clause that bars both sides from discussing the allegations, according to two sources familiar with the agreement.”

When he was Pennsylvania’s attorney general, Shapiro rightly decried the “enforced silence and institutional cover-up” of the horrific child sexual abuse committed by Roman Catholic priests and others. And he drew national attention and praise for his persistence in holding the church hierarchy accountable for enabling and concealing the abuse.

But you can’t be a champion of survivors, while staying mum when someone in your own office has been accused of sexual harassment.

Shapiro has been uncharacteristically reticent regarding the allegation leveled against Vereb. This reticence is a misjudgment. As is the settlement agreement.

You can’t denounce the silencing of victims and then resort to a nondisclosure agreement when it’s politically convenient. Such agreements have been barred in states such as New Jersey for excellent reasons, among them that public money may be involved.

According to Spotlight PA, “Neither the governor’s office nor the accuser’s lawyer, Chuck Pascal, has confirmed or denied the existence of a settlement. The governor’s spokesperson, Manuel Bonder, reiterated that the administration takes harassment and discrimination allegations seriously, and has ‘robust procedures’ in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate them.”

So, it seems, the governor’s office is doing the least that’s expected of it in these circumstances. That’s not enough.

As Spotlight PA reported, “Republicans - led by state Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward of Westmoreland County, the first woman to hold that leadership role - have questioned the timing of Vereb’s resignation, noting that it occurred months after the woman first leveled the harassment accusations.”

Asked in a news conference about Ward’s legitimate questions, Shapiro replied, “Consider the source.”

That’s appalling.

This is not mere partisan politics. This is a matter of character and transparency.

We understand that when a complaint is made against any employee, there are confidential processes and procedures that must be followed. We don’t expect Shapiro to detail how that all played out with Vereb.

We do expect more than vague and dismissive statements from the governor and those who speak for him.

Shapiro could speak clearly about the values of his office and the standards he expects those who work for him to meet. He could discuss the pernicious nature of workplace sexual harassment and how it works to keep its victims - who are mostly, but not exclusively, women - from succeeding and sometimes even surviving. He could talk about the toll it exacts on victims and workplace culture. He could make it crystal-clear that he won’t tolerate it in his administration.

On Monday, Shapiro’s Department of Education announced that $1.5 million in It’s On Us PA grants are available to colleges, universities and other postsecondary schools in Pennsylvania to help combat sexual assault on campus. Is there reason to view the timing of this announcement with some skepticism? Consider its source.

LNP/LancasterOnline