House Order, To Require the House Committee on Ethics To Convene To Consider Allegations of Improper Conduct against Representative Dillon F. Bates of Westbrook and the Actions of the Speaker Relative to That Matter

WHEREAS,  Representative Dillon Bates of Westbrook is the subject of a report in a story published in a monthly Portland publication that alleges that Representative Bates had engaged in inappropriate behavior with several female students while he was in a supervisory capacity as a drama teacher at the Maine Girls' Academy in Portland; and

WHEREAS,  on August 3, 2018, Speaker of the House Sara Gideon publicly called for the resignation from the House of Representatives of Representative Bates, citing the published report; and

WHEREAS,  Speaker Gideon, through her spokesperson, has acknowledged that she was made aware of the allegations against Representative Bates "several months ago"; and

WHEREAS,  Legislators have a moral and legal obligation to protect Maine people, particularly minor children and young women, from predatory sexual abuse; and

WHEREAS,  if the allegations against Representative Bates are true, the actions represent a breach of the Legislative Code of Ethics and a significant breach of public trust; and

WHEREAS,  Representative Bates, through his attorney, has called the allegations of sexual abuse "baseless," and refuses to resign from the House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS,  the allegations may have already caused irreparable harm to Representative Bates's reputation; and

WHEREAS,  Representative Bates has due process rights and should not be forced out of office based on unsubstantiated allegations; now, therefore, be it

ORDERED, that the allegations against Representative Bates, as well as the actions taken by Speaker Gideon in relation to the allegations against Representative Bates, be referred to the House Committee on Ethics for further investigation; and be it further

ORDERED, that the House Committee on Ethics report back to the House of Representatives with the results of its investigation, as well as any recommendations for action, no later than one month after the convening of the committee.