A Nebraska senator is under investigation for sexual harassment after using a colleague's name while reading a graphic rape scene on the legislative floor.
Sen. Steve Halloran, a far-right Republican, attempted Monday night to restrict the critically acclaimed memoir Lucky by Alice Sebold by reading out a passage he claimed was inappropriate for students. Halloran recited the scene, which featured a detailed depiction of sexual assault, while replacing the victim's name with that of fellow lawmaker Machaela Cavanaugh, a Democrat who has consistently opposed book bans and supported LGBTQ+ rights.
At one point, Halloran read a line in which the assailant demanded oral sex from the victim, swapping her name with "Senator Cavanaugh" and stating, "Give me a blow job, Senator Cavanaugh."
The session was adjourned early because of Halloran's remarks, but not before Cavanaugh was given the chance to respond in front of her colleagues. Through tears, she denounced Halloran's actions as "beyond the pale" and "disgusting."
“That was so out of line and unnecessary and disgusting to say my name over and over again like that," she said. “Let’s have a real conversation. But don’t start reading rape scenes and saying my name over and over again. You don’t know anything about anyone else’s life and I can tell you that women in this body have been subject to sexual violence. I didn’t know you were capable of such cruelty.”
Halloran has since received overwhelming bipartisan condemnation, including from Republican Sen. Julie Slama, who was one of several women who came forward in 2022 with sexual assault allegations against Nebraska Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster. Slama called on Halloran to resign, noting that his conduct would not be acceptable in any other professional setting. If the incident had occurred in an office, Slama said, “Do you think you would have your job the next day?”
“We can’t just let this go," she said. "We owe it to the little girls who are watching at home wanting to be something like this when they grow up. We owe it to every Nebraskan because we are the most public workplace in the state, and we deserve for it to be a professional workplace.”
Halloran, for his part, has since claimed that he was not speaking about Machaela Cavanaugh but rather her brother, fellow Democratic Sen. John Cavanaugh. He apologized for invoking the name but overall defended his reading of the passage.
Slama continued her remarks to sharply criticize Halloran's "apology," noting that “it doesn’t matter the gender of the person you were trying to sexually harass."
“Sen. Halloran, you should be ashamed of yourself for being incapable of apologizing. There is no justification for your actions, and you should resign,” Slama concluded.
The state Legislature’s Executive Board has since announced an investigation into Halloran on Wednesday. Sen. Ray Aguilar, the board's chair, said he filed the harassment claim himself after the incident earlier this week and that a panel of three lawmakers will be appointed to hire an independent investigator and release their findings within 45 days. There has also been a separate resolution filed to censure Halloran.
“This formal investigation will be thorough and by the book,” Aguilar said in a statement on the floor. “I can assure members of this body, legislative staff and all Nebraskans that any and all allegations of workplace harassment will be properly investigated and addressed as provided in the Executive Board policy."
“More than anything, it is important that all members of the Legislature and legislative staff feel safe in the workplace,” he said.
