LRN Exclusive: Dawn Ross Speaks On Alleged Sexual Harassment By Secretary of State Tom Schedler
The woman who has accused Secretary of State Tom Schedler of sexual harassment is speaking out, exclusively to the Louisiana Radio Network. Dawn Ross, a longtime employee of the Secretary of State’s office, says she was the recipient of unwanted sexually charged emails, gifts and advances by Schedler since 2007 and she eventually had enough.
Schedler has described the relationship as consensual. But Ross says she tried to keep the relationship only to the friendship level and made it clear to him that’s all she was seeking.
“I would ignore a lot of the comments he would make, the emails, and the texts.”
Ross says Schedler also stalked her and would show up unannounced in public settings. She says the Secretary of State even bought a townhome in the same complex as her.
“I had two chairs in my yard and a neighbor saw him sitting in my yard at 11 o’clock at night, in his pajamas, and told him that he could see the stars better back there.”
Ross, who also worked for a time as Schedler’s secretary, says the final straw came last April, when Schedler started screaming at her when she asked for time off. Ross says Schedler banished her from the office and assigned her to a room with nothing to do and was told to stay out of sight. She says that continued for about three months.
“I couldn’t do it anymore. It was just awful to sit there all day with no work and people following me, his security. I just left and I called my attorney.”