Should Duane Hall quit after accusations? We asked House Democrats and Republicans

While Democratic Party leaders and some legislators have called for Rep. Duane Hall to resign amid sexual misconduct allegations, North Carolina House leaders and the majority of House members aren't speaking publicly about Hall or the push for strengthened sexual harassment policies.

Since the allegations surfaced last month, the calls for Hall, a Wake County Democrat, to step down have subsided, and a survey of state House members has found that few Republicans want to discuss the allegations or say whether they think Hall should resign.

Within days of the allegations surfacing in the media, 13 House members — all of them Democrats — called for Hall to resign. Another three members made statements, but didn't call for resignation. The NC Insider emailed the remaining 104 members this week asking them if they think Hall should resign and if they think an ethics investigation should be initiated to examine the allegations.

The survey prompted two additional lawmakers to say they think Hall should resign.

Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield, a Wilson County Democrat, said it's "my hope that Rep. Hall will resign and the ladies making these allegations will make formal complaints."

Rep. Ted Davis, a New Hanover County Republican, simply replied "yes" to the Insider's question about whether Hall should step down — making him the only Republican legislator to publicly make such a statement (the Wake County Republican Party has, however, called for Hall's resignation).

Six House Democrats said Hall's future should be determined by an investigation or due process, or they said Hall should resign "if the allegations are true." Hall has said he has never sexually harassed anyone, but has admitted to inappropriately kissing a Democratic party official.

A total of 15 House Democrats have publicly called on Hall to resign, but 24 other House Democrats haven't made statements and didn't respond to the Insider's survey. A total of 70 House Republicans didn't respond to the survey and haven't made public statements, including House Speaker Tim Moore and other members of leadership.

Of the Republicans that responded, it was clear that they were not keeping a close eye on the allegations.

Rep. Chuck McGrady of Henderson County said he didn't have an opinion on whether Hall should resign. "I really haven't been closely following the allegations," he said in his response. Rep. Kelly Hastings of Gaston County said in the survey that he doesn't "know the facts surrounding these allegations and I do not serve on the House Ethics Committee." Rep. Bob Muller of Pender County said "if true he should (resign), but an investigation should be opened to assess the allegations."



McGrady, however, did take a stance on whether the General Assembly should take a look at its policies concerning sexual harassment in the workplace: "They need to be reviewed. In a former life, I worked on Human Resources issues for major corporations. It would seem that legislators need some training to understand what the law is."

Muller had a similar stance. "I believe the rules and policies are correct but they should be reviewed for updating refresher sessions," he said.

While not all Democrats are calling on Hall to resign, all of those who responded to the survey said they'd like to see policy changes. "The General Assembly should constantly revise, review and update its mandatory training policies to include sexual harassment and secure reporting processes and support for those who have been subjected to such misconduct," said Rep. Amos Quick of Guilford County, who says he wants an investigation of Hall before he'd call for resignation.

"Men in powerful positions — and men in general — must understand and respect the fact that 'No' is a complete sentence."

Rep. Cecil Brockman, a Guilford County Democrat, shares Quick's views on Hall and called for the legislature to create a "reporting process to an independent third party so employees can feel comfortable reporting instances of harassment without fear of retaliation."

House Democratic Leader Darren Jackson said he's not sure if Hall will face a Legislative Ethics Committee investigation because it would require a formal, public complaint and "I just don't know that any of the ladies are going to do that."

Rep. Marcia Morey, a Durham County Democrat, cited due process concerns in explaining why she won't join calls for Hall's resignation. "I am not calling on Rep. Hall to resign, as it is his decision alone to make," she told the Insider. "I served as a judge for 18 years; people are presumed innocent and should have the right to due process and the ability to confront their accusers. This should not be decided in a court of surveys or public opinion."

Rep. Joe John, another former judge and a Wake County Democrat, also didn't call for Hall to resign but suggested that House leaders have been slow to make improvements to the reporting process. "Three months ago, Democratic Leader Rep. Darren Jackson called on Speaker Moore to establish official General Assembly procedures for investigating and adjudicating sexual harassment claims," John told the Insider. "To date, no measures have been forthcoming. As a former judge, I know the critical necessity for a well-defined legal process to air grievances, to protect the rights of individuals, and to bring matters to a resolution."

Rep. Gale Adcock, a Wake County Democrat who employed one of Hall's accusers as her campaign manager, said "I can understand why an individual would not resign over allegations without the opportunity for due process."

In the absence of a formal probe, Jackson said he's investigated the allegations himself and "talked to several people" involved before calling on Hall to step down.

And while not everyone in his caucus has joined his call — and those of Gov. Roy Cooper and NC Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Goodwin — "I haven't gotten any pushback ... I don't think there are people in our caucus who are like some of the letters to the editor and things in The News & Observer," Jackson said, referring to opinion pieces in the newspaper that suggested the actions alleged aren't serious enough to warrant resignation.

This story was originally published March 16, 2018 at 2:04 PM with the headline "Should Duane Hall quit after accusations? We asked House Democrats and Republicans."