Supervisor Ronan introduces proposal to create city office for harassment and assault response and prevention

Supervisor Hillary Ronan introduced an ordinance on May 8 to create an Office of Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention, a small city office intended to receive survivor complaints about handling of sexual harassment and sexual assault by city departments and to promote departmental accountability.

Ronan said the office would include three staff positions: one staffer to intake calls and help survivors navigate remedy options and advocacy; one staffer to collaborate with city departments and community agencies to gather data and prepare yearly reports with policy recommendations; and a director to mediate between survivors and city staff, provide written guidance to remedy mistreatment, and act as a public liaison to the Board of Supervisors. Ronan said the draft ordinance responds to testimony from survivors and community advocates and aims to restore trust and ensure objective investigations when survivors’ complaints about department handling arise.

Ronan cited the #MeToo movement and testimony received at a hearing two weeks earlier as motivating factors. She said the office could begin work “hopefully this summer” and thanked community advocates and staff who worked on the proposal.

The board received the introduction; the item was placed in the record as new business and will move to committee per normal legislative process. No vote on creation was taken at the meeting.