Indianapolis — The Indianapolis City-County Council Rules Committee on Oct. 28 reviewed steps the city-county enterprise has taken to update workplace harassment policies and discussed potential legislative options, including a temporary ad hoc inspector general, an independent human resources board and expanded reporting channels.

Corporation Counsel Brandon Bealer told the committee that "Harassment training was made mandatory in the city code back in 2019," and that in August 2024 the mayor issued an executive order requiring annual harassment training for all employees. Bealer said the city uses an online learning system (identified in the presentation by the transcript as LisonBee) and supplements with in-person sessions for employees without email access; the current training module was issued Sept. 9 with a completion date of Nov. 30.

The city selected the third-party anonymous-reporting vendor Speakfully after demonstrations of six vendors, Bealer said, and formally launched Speakfully in January 2025. HR has promoted multiple access points (newsletters, flyers and an intranet link) and continues to offer employee assistance resources, including a 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and expanded behavioral-health appointments through the city health plan (referred to as "Marathon" in committee remarks).

Why it matters: Council members and outside experts flagged trust and independence as central issues. Many employees and council members have said confidence in existing processes is low; committee members repeatedly asked how anonymous tips are triaged, how investigations proceed when senior leaders or elected officials are implicated, and whether complainants receive timely status updates.

Outside experts recommended clearer structural changes. Emma Davidson Tribbs, co-founder and director of the National Women's Defense League, told the committee that city reforms should "require an unbiased third party support for reporting, investigations, and resolution," and urged the creation of multiple confidential reporting channels and explicit survivor confidentiality and anti-retaliation protections. Tracy Justice, director of government affairs for Indy SHRM, emphasized public-employer legal constraints and recommended strong policy architecture: multiple reporting avenues, regular training for all levels of staff, prompt documented investigations and consistent corrective action to preserve the city's ability to defend itself in court under established precedents.

Committee discussion and data: Bealer said the Speakfully system has received roughly 123 submissions since launch; he described roughly half as "concerns" (policy questions) and half as formal complaints. He said four of the submissions were reported as sexual-harassment complaints and one of those investigations resulted in a finding that city-county policy had been violated; he did not have the disciplinary disposition for that case at the meeting. Councilors asked Bealer whether complainants are kept apprised of investigation status; Bealer said HR is working to standardize operating procedures to provide routine updates and, where appropriate, workplace protections during investigations.

Proposals under review: The committee discussed seven recommendations compiled by an internal working group, which Bealer summarized as: (1) temporary appointment of an ad hoc inspector general, (2) creation of an independent human-resources board, (3) consideration of an independent Office of Equal Opportunity, (4) promoting awareness and access to reporting tools, (5) audits of HR investigations, (6) creating a universal harassment-free work environment, and (7) yearly aggregate reporting of harassment metrics. Councilors raised limits created by public-record law: Bealer said giving an external board full investigatory authority raises questions about balancing witness and survivor confidentiality with public transparency because investigatory materials can become public records.

Public comment and employee voice: Former city employee Morgan Mickelson spoke during public comment, saying she experienced delays and poor follow-up from HR after reporting inappropriate behavior and urged the committee to pursue independent third-party investigation and greater public engagement.

Next steps: Committee leadership said members will distill the information, continue outreach to the working groups and outside experts, consult corporation counsel and HR on legal constraints, and review fiscal impacts before advancing any ordinance or formal change. The internal culture survey vendor, Reftellus, has completed nine focus groups and delivered a preliminary participation rate of about 30 percent; full survey results and vendor recommendations are expected by the end of the year.

Sources and attribution: Quotes and figures above are attributed to speakers at the Oct. 28 Rules Committee meeting. Specific numbers (123 submissions; 4 sexual-harassment complaints; 1 finding) were presented by Brandon Bealer during committee Q&A. The committee received recommendations from internal working groups and outside organizations including the National Women's Defense League and Indy SHRM.

What to watch: Whether the committee advances an ordinance or roadmap to create independent intake or investigatory authority, and whether the city develops a publicly available, anonymized annual report on harassment complaints, outcomes and corrective actions as recommended by outside experts.