Michigan State Senator Accused Of Sexual Harassment By Fellow Senator

A state senator from Michigan was accused by a fellow senator of sexual harassment, barely a week after he apologized for making sexist remarks to a reporter.

State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, told Crain’s Detroit Business that State Sen. Peter Lucido, R-Shelby Township, acted inappropriately toward her during a lawmaker orientation meeting held days after the 2018 election which included a seminar on sexual harassment.

Speaking exclusively with Crain’s Detroit Business, McMorrow said Lucido remarked that her good looks likely helped her defeat her opponent while holding his hand on her lower back. She said he felt that Lucido also looked at her inappropriately while placing “his fingers on my hips, effectively upper rear.” He was standing so close that she didn’t feel comfortable stepping back, McMorrow said.

McMorrow described the interaction as “degrading and deflating,” adding that “it just knocked me off my feet that that was the first interaction.” The experience was “shocking” and left her feeling like a “piece of meat,” McMorrow said.

Lucido has denied the allegations, claiming that McMorrow’s claims are “politically motivated.”

State Sen. Rosemary Bayer, D-Beverly Hills, told Crain’s she witnessed the alleged interaction. “They were standing there talking together and his arm was … reaching around her back,” she said.

McMorrow said she felt compelled to come forward with her experience after allegations of sexual harassment were leveled against Lucido last week.

Last Wednesday, Lucido offered an apology to reporter Allison Donahue after she claimed the state senator “objectified and humiliated” her. Donahue said that while in front of male students from a Catholic high school, Lucido remarked that, “You could have a lot of fun with these boys, or they could have a lot of fun with you.”

Lucido initially said that the remarks were not sexual in nature and were “blown out of proportion,” but he later issued a public apology. The Michigan Senate has launched an investigation into these allegations.

After hearing Donahue’s account, McMorrow said she felt “guilty” for not speaking up about Lucido sooner. “I felt like had I said something sooner maybe this wouldn't have happened to her,” she said.