Jay Parmley, the executive director of the North Carolina Democratic Party, has been implicated in a sexual-harassment suit filed by a former male staffer.
According to The Daily Caller, Adriadn Ortega, a former communications staffer for the state DNC, filed charges against Parmley (at left in photo) and received a financial settlement to prevent a lawsuit.
No one’s talking, though, as both Ortega and Parmley signed nondisclosure agreements.
Not surprisingly, Democratic operatives in the state are banging their heads against the wall, as the revelation could interfere with efforts to defeat Amendment One, an odious gay-marriage ban on the upcoming May ballot. Democratic statehouse candidate Watt Jones emailed state Democratic Party chair David Parker:
“With a Democratic Party which is suppose [sic] to be fighting to defeat Amendment One on the May 8 ballot, yet we have this in Goodwin House?,” Jones said. “How does that look?”
Of course, with a gag order in effect, we can’t know for sure what, if anything happened between Parmley and Ortega. It could have been a consenting relationship that went south or workplace grievances masquerading as a harassment suit. Keep in mind, the original revelation came from the Civitas Institute, a conservative think tank only too happy to torpedo marriage equality in the Tar Heel State.
Photos via Facebook
PTBoat
I always wonder why the world would expect a group to be perfect in order to deserve equal rights to another group.
Pygar
Parmley’s gay? I went to college with that cat. Never heard any rumors to that effect. Curious.
Feinstein
“Sexual harassment” can signify many different things, not just asking for sexual favors, etc. The timing of this, however, could not be worse.
tarstarkus
No big deal! I had a secretary who “sexually harassed” me by pressing her breasts ( what there was of them) into my back…like her breasts…NO BIG DEAL!
Spike
Due to the fact that the definition of sexual harassment throws the net far and wide, 80% of sexual harassment charges are opportunist and bullshit. I’m guessing this is one of them.
Danny
Maybe Ortega can use some of the money to pay someone to prevent him from ever grabbing another pair of tweezers again. Seriously, the drag queen eyebrows are creepy.
kind
@Pygar:
Really no surprise that Jay is gay… too bad that this is how he is outed….