Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler, accused in a lawsuit of sexually harassing one of his employees, speaks at a press conference on Wednesday, March 14, 2018, in Baton Rouge. (AP Photo/Melinda Deslatte)(Melinda Deslatte)</s>BATON ROUGE — Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler has announced he will resign next week amid allegations that he sexually harassed his former secretary for years.

Schedler announced his resignation in a letter sent to Governor John Bel Edwards and said he’s leaving office on Tuesday, May 8. His first assistant, Kyle Ardoin, will take over in the interim:

Since the moment I became Secretary of State in 2010, I have given everything I have to fulfilling the duties of this unique office … This has been, and will probably remain, the most important work of my life. It is now time for me to make a difficult choice in the best interest of my family, my staff and the citizens of this state … I leave the office knowing it is in the capable hands of my first assistant … However, I leave office with a heavy heart knowing I have disappointed the people in my life who care for me the most. But I also have experienced from them the miraculous power of forgiveness and grace during the twilight of my career, and for that I am grateful. I have been incredibly frustrated with the tabloid approach to an incredibly serious allegation and the necessity of following the advice of counsel to not try this publicly. I trust the judicial process will fairly consider all the facts when they can be properly presented in due time.

Schedler’s former secretary filed a lawsuit against him in February, prompting calls for Schedler’s resignation from Gov. Edwards, as well as U.S. Sens. John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy.

“Given the serious nature of the allegations, in February, I called on Secretary of State Tom Schedler to resign. In light of the additional information that has been disclosed, I believe this is the best course of action for Tom, his family, and the state of Louisiana,” Edwards said in response to Shedler’s resignation.

According to the lawsuit, the alleged harassment began in 2007, not long after Schedler started working for the Secretary of State’s Office as a first assistant under then-Secretary of State Jay Dardenne, who now serves as commissioner of administration. It reportedly continued through 2017.

The lawsuit claims Schedler bought a townhouse in the same complex as the victim and began watching her activities, often commenting on them at work and asking about men who were at her home. It also accuses Schedler of punishing the woman for refusing his repeated advances, transferring her to various departments and assigning her manual labor and other “undesirable” assignments.

The lawsuit says in 2009, Schedler gave the woman a Valentine’s Day card addressed to “My Dearest Sunshine,” and said in the card that he was “not interested in a nice, normal relationship!”

The woman eventually accepted a position as Schedler’s executive assistant in 2011 when he was interim Secretary of State. He was elected to the position later that year.

She claims he told her at the time that he would not pursue her romantically anymore, but eventually reverted back to making sexual advances.

When she told him again that she would never “be interested in him sexually,” she was transferred to the Old State Capitol and given “virtually nothing to do all day,” according to the lawsuit.

“At the time of her transfer … Schedler made it clear to her that she was going to be exiled until she learned how to please him and make him happy,” the lawsuit states.</s>Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler announced that he will officially resign next week.

The resignation comes after suggestive emails and messages from Schedler to his employee Dawn Ross were released last week. Since then Ross has also filed a lawsuit against Schedler. First Assistant Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin will take over for Schedler until an official election this fall.

To read more from The Advocate and watch Schedler’s resignation, click here.</s>BATON ROUGE, La. — The Latest on the resignation of Louisiana’s secretary of state amid sexual harassment allegations (all times local):

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says the secretary of state made the right decision in announcing he will resign later this month.

The Democratic governor had called on Secretary of State Tom Schedler to step down in February after a sexual harassment lawsuit was filed against the Republican elections chief. One of Schedler’s employees filed the lawsuit.

At the time, Schedler refused to step down. His spokeswoman said the pair had a consensual sexual relationship. The woman’s lawyer denied that.

But the drumbeat for Schedler’s resignation grew louder after the release of sexually themed emails Schedler had sent the woman who sued him.

Schedler announced Tuesday he’ll leave the job on May 8.

Edwards called that the “best course of action for Tom, his family and the state of Louisiana.”

Louisiana’s secretary of state is leaving his elected position as calls for his resignation have increased amid allegations that the state elections chief sexually harassed one of his employees.

Secretary of State Tom Schedler announced Tuesday that he will be stepping down May 8 from the position he’s held since 2010. He becomes the highest-level public official in Louisiana to be felled by sexual misconduct accusations since the #MeToo movement began.

The Republican previously announced plans to stay until his term ended in January 2020, despite a pending sexual harassment lawsuit against him by an employee.

But the drumbeat for Schedler’s resignation grew louder after the release of sexually themed emails Schedler had sent the woman who sued him.

A special election will fill the remainder of Schedler’s term.</s>Louisiana's secretary of state is stepping down after becoming embroiled in allegations that he sexually harassed one of his employees for several years.

Tom Schedler, 68, announced on Tuesday that he will resign from his position as state elections chief following the sexual misconduct claims.

He said in a letter to the governor that he will be stepping down May 8, becoming the highest-level public official in Louisiana to be felled by sexual misconduct accusations since the #MeToo movement began unseating people in positions of power in Hollywood, the media and government.

'I leave office with a heavy heart knowing I have disappointed the people in my life who care for me the most,' Schedler wrote.

'But I also have experienced from them the miraculous power of forgiveness and grace during the twilight of my career, and for that I am grateful.'

The Republican secretary of state had previously announced plans to stay until his term ended in January 2020, despite a pending sexual harassment lawsuit against him by his long-time employee Dawn Ross.

But the drumbeat for Schedler's resignation grew louder after the release of sexually themed emails that he had sent to the woman suing him.

A special election will fill the remainder of Schedler's term but until then his first assistant will be in charge.

Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards, who pressed Schedler to resign months ago, said in a statement: 'I believe this is the best course of action for Tom, his family and the state of Louisiana.'

The resignation announcement was a stunning fall for Schedler, a longtime elected official from the New Orleans suburb of St Tammany Parish who was well-liked by colleagues and known for his bipartisan approach to the job he has held since 2010.

But in February, one of Schedler's employees filed a lawsuit claiming he had harassed her for years and punished her when she rebuffed his repeated advances.

Schedler's spokeswoman said the pair had a consensual sexual relationship. The woman's lawyer denies that.

In his resignation letter, Schedler described himself as 'incredibly frustrated with the tabloid approach to an incredibly serious allegation and the necessity of following the advice of counsel to not try this publicly.'

'I trust the judicial process will fairly consider all the facts when they can be properly presented in due time,' he wrote.

The woman claims Schedler frequently sent her love letters, sexually propositioned her and showed up at her doorstep with unwanted gifts, including sex tapes.

She claims Schedler enlisted help from state security personnel to report on her whereabouts. The lawsuit says the harassment began about a decade ago and escalated over the years.

Edwards and several female lawmakers, both Republican and Democrat, urged Schedler to leave office after the lawsuit was filed.

The secretary of state refused to step down, but announced in March he wouldn't run for re-election next year.

In that press conference, Schedler didn't directly respond to the allegations or deny them beyond calling the lawsuit 'unfair.' At the time, he said that 'the truth lies somewhere in the middle.' He refused to answer questions.

Then, he went back to work, showing up to legislative hearings at the Louisiana Capitol and seeming likely to hang onto his position until the next regularly scheduled election.

But accusations of Schedler's misconduct returned to the forefront last week with the release of the sexually suggestive emails, which were sent on a state account and obtained by The Advocate.

The emails showed the secretary of state telling the woman he loved her, demanding she spend time with him and calling her a 'hot gal.'

Schedler's office partially blacked out parts of the communications between the secretary of state and the woman in its response to The Advocate's public records request, but the newspaper obtained complete versions of some of the emails, showing many of the redacted sections contained sexually themed or embarrassing remarks by Schedler.

After the release, Republican US Sen. John Kennedy called on Schedler to resign, saying the emails show the secretary of state 'crossed the line and abused his position.'

GOP US Sen. Bill Cassidy also followed suit, saying in a statement: 'Increasingly it appears the allegations against Secretary Schedler are true.'

He is the most prominent Louisiana political figure to face sexual misconduct allegations amid the #MeToo movement. Before Schedler, one of Edwards' deputy chiefs of staff was accused of sexual harassment in November and immediately resigned.</s>BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana senators agreed to enact a statewide policy against sexual misconduct in government on the day Secretary of State Tom Schedler announced his resignation amid allegations he sexually harassed an employee.

As senators unanimously passed the legislation Tuesday, Sen. Karen Carter Peterson took aim at Schedler’s interim replacement. Peterson told Kyle Ardoin from the Senate floor that if he knew Schedler was harassing an employee, he should step down.

In the harassment lawsuit filed by Schedler’s employee, the woman claims Ardoin was aware of some problems she was having with Schedler.

Ardoin said Tuesday he didn’t know of any sexual harassment allegations “until the day the lawsuit was filed.” He said he doesn’t intend to resign.

The anti-harassment bill is one step from final passage.</s>The announcement was a reversal for Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler (R), who previously refused to resign and said in March it would be “cowardly” to do so after the allegations were first made.

Dawn Ross, who was an assistant to Schedler but now works in the secretary of state’s office in a reduced role, filed a lawsuit in state court in February accusing him of engaging “in a pattern and practice of sexual harassment and retaliatory harassment” for nearly a decade. After hiring her as his executive secretary in 2011, she said in the suit, he made repeated passes at her, including coming to her home with love letters, cards and sex tapes. Ross also alleged that Schedler, a former president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, repeatedly implored her to join him for meals and trips.

Ross claims that Schedler retaliated when she rebuffed his advances by ordering that she stay out of his sight, sending her to work in a separate building and stripping her of all job responsibilities. She says she was even forbidden from eating with other employees so that she wouldn’t risk being seen by Schedler.

In March, Schedler, who has been secretary of state since 2010, said he would not resign but wouldn’t seek re-election in 2019. He said he had a consensual sexual relationship with Ross, which Ross denies, and that he would fight the allegations. But after calls for his resignation grew, Schedler resigned Tuesday.

″I leave office with a heavy heart knowing I have disappointed the people in my life who care for me the most. But I also have experienced from them the miraculous power of forgiveness and grace during the twilight of my career, and for that I am grateful,” he wrote in his resignation letter to Gov. John Bel Edwards (D), who had called on him to step down. “I have been incredibly frustrated with the tabloid approach to an incredibly serious allegation and the necessity of following the advice of counsel not to try this publicly. I trust the judicial process will fairly consider all the facts when they can be properly presented in due time.”

Ross was surprised by Schedler’s sudden resignation, according to Jill Craft, her attorney. Craft said Ross’s decision to keep numerous letters, cards and other messages Schedler allegedly sent her helped rebut what Schedler said publicly.

Craft provided HuffPost with a sampling of the cards Ross alleged Schedler sent her. On the front of one of the cards is a man standing under mistletoe with the word “yes.” On the other half of the card is a picture of the same man with the mistletoe over his groin that says “no.” “Well here’s another tradition that I bet you forgot and a very naughty one at that!” Schedler allegedly wrote in the card. “Something to moderate even the most boring of nights even after St. Nick is on his way! Make you hot into night!”

″It took a tremendous amount of courage for her to stand up, especially given that the defendant is a statewide elected official,” Craft said in an email. “Although he has claimed he had a ‘consensual’ relationship with Ms. Ross, not only does she vehemently deny that claim, but many of the written communications he sent her verify she repeatedly rebuffed his advances and told him ‘no.’”

Schedler’s office redacted many of the emails between Ross and Schedler provided to HuffPost in a public records request, saying that they were “of a purely personal nature.” The Advocate obtained unredacted copies of some of the messages and reported they contained sexually suggestive messages from Schedler, including one in which he said he wanted to “undress” Ross with his mind.</s>BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The Latest on the resignation of Louisiana’s secretary of state amid sexual harassment allegations (all times local):

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says the secretary of state made the right decision in announcing he will resign later this month.

The Democratic governor had called on Secretary of State Tom Schedler to step down in February after a sexual harassment lawsuit was filed against the Republican elections chief. One of Schedler’s employees filed the lawsuit.

At the time, Schedler refused to step down. His spokeswoman said the pair had a consensual sexual relationship. The woman’s lawyer denied that.

But the drumbeat for Schedler’s resignation grew louder after the release of sexually themed emails Schedler had sent the woman who sued him.

Schedler announced Tuesday he’ll leave the job on May 8.

Edwards called that the “best course of action for Tom, his family and the state of Louisiana.”

Louisiana’s secretary of state is leaving his elected position as calls for his resignation have increased amid allegations that the state elections chief sexually harassed one of his employees.

Secretary of State Tom Schedler announced Tuesday that he will be stepping down May 8 from the position he’s held since 2010. He becomes the highest-level public official in Louisiana to be felled by sexual misconduct accusations since the #MeToo movement began.

The Republican previously announced plans to stay until his term ended in January 2020, despite a pending sexual harassment lawsuit against him by an employee.

But the drumbeat for Schedler’s resignation grew louder after the release of sexually themed emails Schedler had sent the woman who sued him.

A special election will fill the remainder of Schedler’s term.

The Washington Times is switching its third-party commenting system from Disqus to Spot.IM. You will need to either create an account with Spot.im or if you wish to use your Disqus account look under the Conversation for the link "Have a Disqus Account?". Please read our The Washington Times is switching its third-party commenting system from Disqus to Spot.IM. You will need to either create an account with Spot.im or if you wish to use your Disqus account look under the Conversation for the link "Have a Disqus Account?". Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.</s>Louisiana’s chief election official, Secretary of State Tom Schedler, resigned on Tuesday in the face of what he called “an incredibly serious allegation” that he had sexually harassed a female employee.



Schedler became the latest in a wave of dozens of businessmen, politicians and entertainers to lose their posts amid accusations of sexual harassment in what has become known over the last year as the social media #MeToo movement.

The accuser, Dawn Ross, said in her lawsuit filed in a Louisiana district court in February that Schedler began making inappropriate comments to her soon after he joined the department in 2007.

Schedler, a Republican, had previously denied harassing the woman, saying he had only a consensual relationship with her.

“I have been incredibly frustrated with the tabloid approach to an incredibly serious allegation and the necessity of following the advice of counsel to not try this publicly,” Schedler said in his resignation letter.

He said that he would trust the legal process to “fairly consider all the facts”.

Ross said Schedler, who lived in the same residential complex as she did, would observe her movements and comment on them the next day. He also propositioned her at work for a decade in the face of her rejections and even surveilled a man she was dating.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, had called on Schedler to resign in February.

“In light of the additional information that has been disclosed, I believe this is the best course of action for Tom, his family, and the state of Louisiana,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Local news outlets have published emails obtained from Schedler’s work account in recent days in which he makes sexual overtures to Ross.

Ross’s lawyer, Jill Craft, said Ross was never in a consensual relationship with Schedler.

“When we have elected officials who represent us they need to be held to at least the same standard as those in private industry, if not to a higher standard,” Craft said in a telephone interview.

Schedler’s last day will be May 8, and his replacement will be found through a special election.</s>BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Louisiana senators agreed to enact a statewide policy against sexual misconduct in government on the day Secretary of State Tom Schedler announced his resignation amid allegations he sexually harassed an employee.

As senators unanimously passed the legislation Tuesday, Sen. Karen Carter Peterson took aim at Schedler’s interim replacement. Peterson told Kyle Ardoin from the Senate floor that if he knew Schedler was harassing an employee, he should step down.

In the harassment lawsuit filed by Schedler’s employee, the woman claims Ardoin was aware of some problems she was having with Schedler.

Ardoin said Tuesday he didn’t know of any sexual harassment allegations “until the day the lawsuit was filed.” He said he doesn’t intend to resign.

The anti-harassment bill is one step from final passage.

The Washington Times is switching its third-party commenting system from Disqus to Spot.IM. You will need to either create an account with Spot.im or if you wish to use your Disqus account look under the Conversation for the link "Have a Disqus Account?". Please read our The Washington Times is switching its third-party commenting system from Disqus to Spot.IM. You will need to either create an account with Spot.im or if you wish to use your Disqus account look under the Conversation for the link "Have a Disqus Account?". Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler announces that he will resign in one week, after being accused of sexual harassment.