Political staffers accuse Labor MP Hugh McDermott of sexual harassment and intimidation
A FORMAL investigation into claims of sexual harassment by a Western Sydney Labor MP Hugh McDermott against a staffer has been launched by Opposition Leader Luke Foley.
NSW
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A FORMAL investigation into claims of sexual harassment by Western Sydney Labor MP Hugh McDermott against a staff member has been launched by Opposition Leader Luke Foley.
The NSW parliament and the NSW Labor Party will run independent investigations.
“There is no place whatsoever for harassment of women in the party I
lead,” Mr Foley said today.
“She will be supported. No one will be judged.”
It comes after The Daily Telegraph today revealed Dr McDermott’s former staffer Nicole Scott accused the Prospect MP in a formal complaint of deliberately brushing against her breast and pressing his groin up against her back.
Another staffer, Afefa Esber, claimed she was brought to tears by Dr McDermott in an alleged road rage incident on June 26 last year.
Dr McDermott, who categorically denies all harassment allegations levelled at him, today stood down from his most senior position within the ALP, chair of the self-styled Wastewatch Committee.
“I am voluntarily standing aside from my role... until the investigation of these allegations is complete,” Dr McDermott wrote in a written release.
“I welcome the opportunity to clear my name.”
Ms Scott ran Dr McDermott’s office for two years and eight months until she was suddenly fired two weeks before Christmas.
She was at home on sick leave when a courier arrived with her personal belongings and a termination letter signed by Dr McDermott.
“I appreciate that this information may be unexpected,” the letter said.
Her subsequent complaint details the “humiliation” she felt when Dr McDermott allegedly rubbed his groin against her back while she was seated at her desk.
“The Member has more than once brushed past my breast,” she claimed in the complaint letter, adding: “Many times Hugh McDermott MP would stare at my breasts when having conversations with me.”
Ms Scott also alleged that on October 9 when Dr McDermott answered the door to his home for a mutually agreed meeting, he did so without a shirt and his pants undone.
“Hugh opened the door with no shirt on. The Member had his shirt swung over his shoulder like he was on the catwalk,” she wrote.
“I proceeded to chat about the pictures on the wall as to avoid my discomfort.
“The Member came out (of) the room, pointing out who was who in the pictures and proceeded to do up his pants.
“I felt disgusted. I said, ‘I’ll see you in the car’ and left.”
Dr McDermott sacked all three of his staffers, Nicole Scott, Afefah Esber and George Barcha, within five weeks over December and January this year.
He has since hired three replacements aged in their late teens and 20s.
According to Dr McDermott, the terminations were legal and all three sackings were “due to changed operational requirements”.
“Aggrieved employees have a number of channels available to them under workplace laws and policies,” Dr McDermott said.
“At no time has any member of my staff spoken with me about such allegations, nor have they lodged a formal complaint through any of the channels available to them which would trigger a proper investigation and consideration of any such matter,” he said.
Ms Scott also alleged that a staff member was “subjected to verbal abuse weekly”.
“I would then get startled with the Member banging his fist on the desk and yelling derogatory comments. ‘You are a f...in’ idiot, you will f...ing listen to me, what the f... are you doing’.”
Afefah Esber, who worked in the office one day a week, said she would worry when Ms Scott and Dr McDermott were in the office alone.
“Nicole raised concerns with me … about him physically touching her and she was uncomfortable and very upset,” Mrs Esber said.
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“Nicole told me she didn’t know how to approach him about it and I was very distressed.”
She added that Dr McDermott brought her to tears during an alleged road rage incident on June 26 last year.
According to Mrs Esber, Dr McDermott was driving with both her and Ms Scott when he allegedly shouted a tirade of expletive-laden abuse at another motorist attempting to merge. The spray allegedly led to the other driver attempting to block their vehicle.
The Saturday Telegraph has learned that Dr McDermott’s licence was suspended in January for unrelated traffic offences. “I was very scared,” Mrs Esber said.
The allegations are set to cause a headache for the NSW ALP, which in November preselected Dr McDermott for the safe Labor seat.