Senate president Peter Courtney needs to step down

Lars Larson transcript,
NW based national talk show host

Peter Courtney owes it to Oregon to step down from his leadership spot at least, and preferably he should quit his seat. Now why would I say that? Because we now know that sexual harassment has been going on at the state capitol for years, and Courtney knew about it. Some of it took place in the Senate President’s own office. He ignored it, and some cases he covered it up.

For a long time Peter Courtney was assistant to the president of Western Oregon University. A job with lots of influence. Yet when young women came to him for help after professors sexually harassed them, Courtney said, “yeah that sure is harassment, and no there’s nothing I can do about it, sorry.” A lawsuit charges that this kind of thing went on for at least 10 years. Courtney knew about it and did nothing. In his own office, Courtney actually fired a woman because of her legal relationship with a state lawmaker, and then he paid for her silence with taxpayer money. 

None of the Democrat lawmakers in this state have called for Courtney to step down. None of the Republicans either. So I will. If the Democrats want us to take ”me too” seriously, they should sweep the floor of their own house first.