INDIANAPOLIS — It's been a little over a week since Lauren Roberts and Caroline Ellert watched as Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett addressed the City-County Council, laying out his 2025 budget proposal.
But he also apologized to both women – and the anonymous third woman – who reported alleged abuse by former Chief Deputy Mayor Thomas Cook.
"His conduct was a betrayal of the trust placed in him as a public official. It was a betrayal of my trust and most importantly a violation of the city responsibility to ensure safety and well being for all employees," Hogsett said during the Aug. 12 meeting.
During that meeting, Hogsett announced changes to improve protections for employees. On Tuesday, Aug. 20, he released an executive order that says every city-county employee will now attend an annual interactive harassment awareness and prevention training program. It was developed by the division of human resources and the office of corporation counsel.
In the executive order, the mayor said the city of Indianapolis and Marion County have a zero-tolerance policy for any form of sexual harassment.
The order also says the office of corporation counsel will be in charge of keeping track of making sure everyone participates in the training. If an employee fails to complete the mandatory training, they could face discipline.
Employees have until Dec. 31, 2024 to complete the training.
In a letter to employees on Aug. 16, Hogsett said the executive order "will allow every single person who serves this community to know their rights, their protections, their reporting obligations, and what to do if they find themselves on the receiving end of any unacceptable behavior."
He also reminded employees of the anonymous online reporting form and plans to hire a national firm to update the entire employee handbook.
Roberts and Ellert sent a statement to 13News with their thoughts on this new executive order.
"We're glad to see movement on one of the steps outlined in our letter. We hope the new training is effective in giving employees a safe space to learn about their rights," the statement read.