Should we oust sexual harassers?
Should Iowa voters have to wait until the next election to oust officials engaging in sexual harassment? The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that may provide an answer. The case involves Abraham Watkins, elected as Van Buren County attorney as an independent in 2014. Midway through his four-year term, a court said Watkins abused his position by sexually harassing county employees. Watkins was ousted, and appealed the ruling. Case details are sordid — boasting and sharing of nude photographs, questions and comments about intimate body parts. They’d perhaps be more shocking if Iowans hadn’t recently heard reports of similar behavior in the Senate Republican Caucus. Chapter 66 of the Iowa Code provides a framework for removal of appointed or elected officials not subject to impeachment. Causes include willful or habitual…