The Metro Council Women's Caucus was founded this year, and the group has focused its efforts on ensuring everyone goes through sexual harassment training.
With 15 women out of 40 metro council members, it's the most women serving on the council in history.
There are dozens of departments within metro Nashville and hundreds of metro employees, all of whom go through extensive training before employment. However, all but elected officials and council members go through specific sexual harassment training.
"We don't know if it was an oversight. We looked at it, it was a head scratcher. Why should we be held to a different standard than all the other metro employees with regard to conduct and training," Caucus Chair Sheri Weiner said.
The caucus has filed an ordinance that requires council members and elected officials to go through the sexual harassment prevention training every four years. "It just rose to the top, maybe because it's in our level of conscious right now because there's so much of it out there," said Weiner.
While serving six years on metro council, Weiner says she's never witnessed or heard of sexual harassment, rather this is just a loophole that needs to be closed.
Councilwoman Weiner is encouraging feedback form the community. If there is an issue you'd like the caucus to look at and discuss you can contact Weiner at sheri.weiner@nashville.gov.
