The board of the union representing Vermont correctional workers approved a resolution Monday to condemn harassment and exploitation of “all people living and working in Vermont.”
The resolution was adopted in response to a Seven Days expose of prison staff abuses of inmates and drug use.
In its deliberations, however, the Vermont State Employees’ Association board dialed back language that would have addressed allegations of systemic sexual harassment and abuse involving correctional officers.
The board voted to remove any reference to the prison system before ultimately adopting the language in an 11-4 vote Monday, according to the draft minutes of the meeting.
The initial resolution presented at the meeting stated that there have been numerous reports that have “come to light in December 2019 detailing a pervasive culture of sexual harassment and exploitation in Vermont’s prison system” and the VSEA board of trustees “condemns the sexual harassment and exploitation of all people living and working in Vermont’s prison system.”
Trustee and state Rep. Bob Hooper, D-Burlington, then made a motion to delete the words “pervasive culture of,” which passed on a 9-6 vote, the minutes stated.
Trustee Joseph Silvestri moved to delete all references to Vermont’s prison system, changing the wording to “Vermont’s workforce” or “Vermont,” according to the minutes. That amendment narrowly passed by one vote.
Neither Hooper nor Silvestri responded to messages Wednesday seeking comment.
The final resolution read:
“Whereas, Numerous reports have come to light in December 2019 detailing sexual harassment and exploitation in Vermont’s workforce;
Resolved, That the VSEA Board of Trustees condemns the sexual harassment and exploitation of all people living and working in Vermont.
Resolved, That the VSEA Board of Trustees commends and encourages all efforts to bring forward credible reports of abuse, and condemns any attempts to silence, intimidate, or retaliate against people bringing forward such reports;
and Resolved, That the VSEA Board of Trustees calls on the Governor to ensure a safe environment free from abuse and retaliation for all people living and working in Vermont.”
The draft meeting minutes do not explain why the changes were made to the resolution.
The vote by the board comes as the union has voiced strong opposition to reforms proposed by Agency of Human Services Secretary Mike Smith in response to reporting last month by Seven Days detailing sexual abuse and harassment as well as drug use by guards at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility, the state’s only women’s prison.
Among those proposed reforms objected to by the union was a call by Smith for legislation mandating drug testing of corrections staff.
Steve Howard, VSEA executive director, who is not a member of the union’s board, did not vote on the measure.
“The vast majority of the board of trustees wanted to make clear that this is an issue that we care about universally,” Howard said Wednesday. “Targeting a particular department, the way they seem to be targeted, is unfair, and that really it shouldn’t matter where somebody works.”
Asked if he believed by removing any references to prison scandal from the resolution took the focus off the need for reforms in the corrections system, Howard replied that recent reports regarding corrections staff are only allegations.
“Let’s make sure we give people their due process rights,” Howard said, “and let’s not paint people with a broad brush.”
Attempts to reach the four board members who voted against the resolution were not immediately successful.
Smith, who has implemented an independent investigation into the allegations regarding the women’s prison, said Wednesday that he wasn’t aware of the VSEA resolution.
However, Smith said, he wasn’t opposed to a resolution that went beyond the prison system.
“I think this probably is a systemwide issue,” Smith said.
