Until Deval Patrick got into the 2020 presidential race, there had been almost no attention paid to #MeToo issues in the 2020 presidential race. It hasn’t come up in any of the debates and none of the Democratic (or Republican) candidates has a plan to reduce and prevent sexual violence. Only Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren address sexual abuse, harassment, and assault in any substantive way on their campaign websites, with both pledging to fund efforts to eliminate the backlog of unanalyzed sexual assault forensic exam evidence, which is often referred to as the “rape kit backlog.”
But within hours of former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick announcing his candidacy for president, we saw a flurry of #MeToo-related stories. All focused on Patrick’s decision as governor to fire two members of the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB) in what looked like a retaliatory move for attempting to require Patrick’s brother-in-law to register with SORB as a sex offender. Coverage highlights included stories in the Boston Globe, Washington Post, and a Heavy.com online explainer. A tweet thread by the Stanford law professor who led the effort to recall the California judge who issued a lenient sentence in a widely watched rape case also went viral.
Patrick’s brother-in-law, Bernard Sigh, has twice been tried and convicted of raping Patrick’s sister. The second conviction took place this past summer, and Sigh is now in prison. The first conviction took place in California in 1993. During Patrick’s first run for governor, media reported that Sigh, who reconciled with his wife after he completed his first sentence and moved to Massachusetts, was not registered with SORB.
The two officials Patrick fired tried to overturn a decision that found that Sigh didn’t have to register as a sex offender because he had been convicted in California of “spousal rape.” The officials implemented staff training and worked to change state policy to ensure that the crime of rape would never be downgraded to mere assault and battery—which is what happened in Sigh’s case—because the offender happened to be married to the victim when the crime occurred.
Thanks to #MeToo, the public is much more aware of the ways in which perpetrators are protected, survivors are punished, and truth-tellers are retaliated against by powerful business executives and political leaders. Today, Patrick is fielding more questions about his decision to fire the two officials than he did at the time, when he admitted that his personal connection to their actions as state officials played a role in his decision making.
The wall of power and protection that many offenders can rely upon perpetuates cycles of violence. Patrick, who was a tremendous advocate for LGBTQ equality and criminal legal reform while serving as governor, has yet to say anything indicating that he understands this. Reporters should continue to press him on the question. And they should expand their queries to everyone else in the race on the broader issues of sexual violence prevention. Areas of inquiry should include the following:
How will candidates restore the Title IX protections once afforded to people of all genders? The 1972 law prohibits sex-based discrimination at schools that receive federal funding. But changes to the law proposed by the Trump administration would effectively eliminate its effectiveness by requiring proof that schools have been “deliberately indifferent” to the law.
What do candidates think about the Bringing an End to Harassment by Enhancing Accountability and Rejecting Discrimination (BE HEARD) in the Workplace Act? Filed by Massachusetts Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley and Katherine Clark, the measure would enact sweeping workplace protections against sexual harassment, abuse and assault..
Will candidates invest political capital in moving Congress to reauthorize and expand the Violence Against Women Act? The landmark 1994 law has been instrumental to improving law enforcement’s response to sexual assault and ensuring survivors receive the services they need to heal. The law is up for reauthorization this year. The House has passed its version but the Senate has failed to act.
How are candidates planning to address rampant sexual harassment and assault in the military? Over the last 15-plus years, the military has made significant progress in reducing sexual assault within the ranks. But a recent report from the Department of Defense shows that enormous work remains.
Last, what do the candidates think of political leaders who use their power to retaliate against government employees seeking to improve the systems by which perpetrators are held accountable?
Gina Scaramella is the executive director of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center.
