NYC lawmakers to introduce bills requiring officials to report sexual harassment, after councilman refuses

close

Video

FBI collaborates with the National Institute of Justice to test backlogged sexual assault kits

Over the past five years in collaboration with the NIJ, the FBI has found 829 matches to backlogged sexual assault kits.

Two new bills would make it illegal for public officials to ignore reports of sexual harassment committed by their staff members.

New York City Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal and Councilman Ritchie Torres are each expected to introduce legislation on Monday to make city officials, such as their colleagues, mandated reporters of sexual harassment.

ANITA HILL SLAMS BIDEN IN OP-ED, CLAIMS DEM MIGHT HAVE SLOWED #METOO BY DECADES

The bills would come after Bronx Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. stated he would not report misconduct by his employees, saying, "I’m not gonna rat my people out!" during a sexual harassment training session the City Council held, as the New York Daily News reported.

Ruben Diaz, Sr., seen here in 2011, apologized after saying he would not "rat my people out" during misconduct investigations. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)

Diaz, who is a Pentecostal minister, apologized for the remark, and said there was a "coordinated campaign" to get him off the Council.

STEVEN SPIELBERG AND AMBLIN TV EXIT CBS DRAMA 'BULL' OVER MICHAEL WEATHERLY HARASSMENT CONTROVERSY

Rosenthal's legislation would require city officials to report any complaints of sexual harassment to his or her agency's Equal Employment office. Torres' bill would require public officials such as Council members to report sexual advances and improper touching to the Department of Investigation.

City law already requires other managers to report sexual harassment, but Council members are not covered by this.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News reached out to Rosenthal and Torres' offices inquiring what types of penalties violators could face, but they did not immediately respond.

In 2018, there were 10 incidents of sexual harassment reported by city workers. Of those, six of them were from City Council employees.