The leaders in the Michigan state Senate called for an investigation Wednesday into Sen. Pete Lucido’s (R) comment to a reporter that a group of schoolboys could “have a lot of fun” with her.
Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R) and Minority Leader Jim Ananich (D) addressed the letter to the Senate Business Office.
“Sexual harassment has no place in the Michigan Senate,” they wrote. “We take these allegations very seriously and trust that you will take appropriate action to resolve this matter.”
Allison Donahue of the Michigan Advance wrote a first-person account of her interactions with the state senator Wednesday.
She was waiting outside of the Senate chamber to ask Lucido about reporting that he was part of a Facebook group that was violently opposed to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D).
As he walked out, a group of about 30 high school boys from his alma mater stood waiting. He told Donahue he’d get to her after honoring the boys. “You should hang around!” he said before he walked away. “You could have a lot of fun with these boys, or they could have a lot of fun with you.”
Donahue recalled the boys erupting into laughter.
When Lucido circled back with her, Donahue brought up his comment and told him that she’d found it “unprofessional” and took issue with what he was “insinuating.” She added that he would not have made such a comment to any of her male colleagues or female colleagues older than her 22 years.
Lucido insisted that he was referring to the awkwardness boys educated at an all-male school feel around women.
Read the letter below:
