Election University is partnering with The Purple Campaign to address the topic of sexual harassment on the campaign trail.

In the past year, high-profile sexual harassment allegations have unearthed what we already knew: that sexual harassment is pervasive and deeply entrenched in our culture. Unrestrained by traditional workplace structures, political campaigns are not immune from sexual harassment. The high-stress, short-term environment of campaigns perhaps makes misconduct even more prevalent. So, this week on the Election University podcast, our hosts Jason Bennett and Reiny Cohen unpack this challenging issue and add political voices to the #MeToo movement.

Our hosts speak with guest Jessica Patterson of the Purple Campaign to define sexual harassment, hear potential policy solutions, and brainstorm campaign policies and resources to prevent sexual harassment on the campaign trail. Jessica Patterson and Ally Coll Steele formed the Purple Campaign in January of 2018 to educate, elect, and mobilize folks against sexual harassment. In the short months since their launch, the Purple Campaign been endorsed by legislators, business executives, musicians, and advocacy organizations. They have lead education campaigns on social media and mobilized members of Congress to wear black at the 2018 State of the Union.  

In an effort to help campaigns set a standard of behavior on the campaign trail, we've asked the smart attorneys at The Purple Campaign to create templates that campaigns can use. We are releasing two starter templates for campaigns: a sample Code of Conduct and a sample Campaign Agreement. 

You can learn more about the Purple Campaign and sign up for email updates on their website, www.purplecampaign.org. You can get involved by joining the Purple Campaign’s Founder’s Circle with a donation, or participating in one of their three councils of experts. You can also follow along with the campaign on Facebook, twitter, or Instagram. To learn more about being an ally, identify resources available to you as a target, or learn more about sexual harassment and reporting in general, visit BetterBrave.com.

To learn more about sexual harassment, sexual assault, and reporting procedures, visit RAINN.org. If you have experienced sexual harassment or assault and need help identifying your resources and options, you can reach the 24/7, confidential National Sexual Assault Hotline for free at 800.656.HOPE or chat online now at rainn.org. You can also file a claim of harassment, employment discrimination or retaliation, and get more information at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), here.

We know this was a challenging episode. We know that we barely scratched the surface of this systemic social issue. And we know that one podcast will not undo decades of sexism and hostile work environments. But we hope that this episode helps you and your campaign take one step towards progress. So listeners, we want to hear your voices on this issue! Let us know what you think, how you’re responding to the #MeToo movement, and what else you think we can do to make progress on this issue.

Click here to download your free sample templates!