The half dozen Democrats who are running for governor say it’s time to address the “scourge” of sexual harassment in our culture. Their comments came last (Thursday) night — a few hours after Republican Governor Kim Reynolds publicly released the letter she received in March from a state employee who alleged the Iowa Finance Authority’s boss was harassing women in the agency. Reynolds fired the man a month ago. Fred Hubble, a retired businessman from Des Moines, says if there’s a lawsuit over a state official or state employee’s conduct, that person — not the taxpayers — should pay any damages. “There is no room for sexual assault or sexual harassment in our state, period,” Hubbell says. “Not just state government, but in our state, in our communities, on our sidewalks. We’ve got to stop that.”

All six Democratic gubernatorial candidates were in Adel last (Thursday) night for a Dallas County Democrats’ fundraiser. Nate Boulton, a state senator from Des Moines, says the female employee’s letter revealed a “toxic culture” where a state official abused his power in the work environment. “The statehouse, state government, should lead by example and not be — unfortunately — a bad example,” Boulton says. Andy McGuire, a medical doctor who is a former Iowa Democratic Party chairwoman, says harassment is a cultural issue that must be addressed. “I want to make sure when I’m in office that we value every state employee, that we value everyone in Iowa,” she says, “so that we make sure we don’t have this anymore.”

Cathy Glasson, a nurse and union organizer from Coralville, says Reynolds “could have led” on the issue after a state senate employee who complained of harassment won a two-million dollar jury verdict last July. “She sort of deferred it to that chamber, to the senate, like it’s just their problem, when obviously there’s a much bigger problem affecting the work environment in state government in Iowa,” Glasson says. Ross Wilburn, a former Iowa City mayor and current employee of Iowa State University Extension, says Reynolds needs to ensure state workers know where they can safely go to air these kind of complaints. “The governor does set the tone for the values and expectations on behavior,” Wilburn says.

John Norris, who served as Democratic Governor Tom Vilsack’s chief of staff, calls the allegations in the woman’s letter “reprehensible.” “Now you know why they tried to bury it,” Norris says. According to Reynolds, it was up to the woman who wrote the letter to decide whether the graphic details of the alleged misconduct should be publicly revealed. During a W-H-O T-V interview yesterday (Thursday), Reynolds said she felt she had the right to keep the document confidential, to protect the identity of a woman in a small state agency who filed the complaint. Reynolds also referred to Iowa Finance Director Dave Jamison’s alleged actions as “pathetic” and the governor said Jamison was “absolutely done” once she read the woman’s letter. Reynolds has often said while she can’t dictate morality, her administration has a “zero tolerance” policy towards sexual harassment that seeks to change the culture in state government.

(Radio Iowa)

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A newspaper has reported that a Drake University professor accused of sexually exploiting female students has been allowed to resign effective June 1. The Des Moines Register reports that a November internal investigation found that Mahmoud Hamad “physically, sexually and verbally intimidated” female students and “did exploit the power differential that existed between him and his female students.”

The report found that Hamad violated university policies through “unwelcome advances and unwelcome verbal and physical conduct and intimidation aimed at female students because of their sex.” The case hasn’t been referred to police. In the report Hamad denied the student accusations. He’s declined to otherwise comment. Drake administrator Sue Mattison won’t say whether Hamad was asked to resign. She says he’s on a leave of absence.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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WELLMAN, Iowa (AP) — A former Iowa teacher purged from the state’s sex offender list has been allowed to volunteer at an eastern Iowa school district. The Des Moines Register reports that Trent Yoder has been helping out in the Mid-Prairie schools district, which is based in Wellman. The district granted him special permission to volunteer, after receiving letters of support. Superintendent Mark Schneider says he has informed school principals that Yoder must be with another adult at all times.

Yoder had pleaded guilty to exploiting a minor at an Anita school by videotaping a high school athlete changing her clothes in 1998. Court records say he served a few weeks behind bars and then four years of probation. He was removed from the sex offender registry after 10 years. He told the Register that he hates that he “caused so much pain to that community.”

The Iowa State Patrol, Thursday, released additional details about an accident Wednesday morning involving a Trooper. Authorities report Trooper Dillon Malone, of Council Bluffs, was driving his patrol vehicle, a 2014 Dodge Charger, in Emergency status, while enroute to assist with a vehicle eluding law enforcement. As the Trooper was traveling south on Highway 275 at around 4:20-a.m., and entering the town of Hamburg, his vehicle entered a curve and went out of control. The cruiser went off the road to the left and into a residential yard where it hit a tree before going airborne off an embankment. The vehicle struck a parked 2017 Freightliner semi trailer in the residents’ driveway, and afterward spun around before coming to rest.

Trooper Malone, who was wearing his seat belt, was transported by LifeNet helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), where he was being treated for serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police have arrested a man who they say surrendered after firing a pistol at an officer, who fired back. Police identified the man as 21-year-old Benjamin Perry, who’s been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon on a police officer and other crimes.  Police say no one was injured in the gunfire exchange, which occurred around 2 a.m. Thursday toward the end of a pursuit on northbound Interstate 35.

Officers deployed stop sticks that disabled the vehicle. Police say the man later identified as Perry fired as his vehicle slowed, and the officer returned the fire. Officers say Perry surrendered after a brief standoff and was taken to a hospital for observation.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports Deputies arrested 21-year old Zachary Aaron Thomas, of Red Oak, Thursday evening. Thomas was arrested at around 8:30-p.m. in the 200 block of E. Nuckols Street, for Possession of Marijuana. His cash bond at the Montgomery County Jail, was set at $1,000. A few minutes prior to Thomas’ arrest, Red Oak Police arrested 26-year old old Aaron Gar Nelson, of Red Oak, in the same location. Nelson was charged with Disorderly Conduct and was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where his cash or surety bond was set at $300. Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted Red Oak Police in the arrest.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports, early this (Friday) morning, the Fremont County K9 Unit stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. During the course of the stop, 29-year old Marquis O’Neal, of Omaha, NE., was found to be in possession of a controlled substance.

Marquis O’Neal

A subsequent search of the vehicle was conducted that produced a loaded .40 cal handgun in the center console. O’Neal was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center, where he was being held on $1,000 bond, for possession of a controlled substance.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An agency director fired by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds had been accused of harassing female employees for years by routinely making crude sexual comments and pressuring one to go into his hotel room during work travel. Bowing to pressure after keeping the document secret for a month, the governor released a March 21 letter to her that laid out detailed allegations against Iowa Finance Authority Director Dave Jamison. The woman said Jamison talked about her breasts and constantly made sexual remarks.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The director of Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources is stepping down next week. Chuck Gipp announced his retirement Thursday in a news release. He submitted a resignation letter dated April 2 to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. His retirement begins Tuesday. Gipp has been director for six years. He previously served nine terms in the Iowa House, including as majority leader.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a former southwestern Iowa funeral home director has been charged in an insurance fraud investigation. Prosecutors said in a news release Thursday that 43-year-old Michael Dean Kirsch, of Shenandoah, has been charged with ongoing criminal conduct-influencing enterprise and more than 10 counts of theft. Officials say Kirsch sold funeral insurance to people intended to cover funeral expenses, but instead used the money for his personal use.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A judge says an Iowa man is competent to stand trial on allegations that he used an electric guitar to beat his mother to death. Des Moines County District Court records say the judge filed the ruling Monday on 29-year-old Garret Selters, who has been undergoing treatment at a state mental health facility since the killing. Selters, of Burlington, has pleaded not guilty to murder. Prosecutors say he swung the guitar into the head of 56-year-old Linda Selters on Oct. 17.