GOP Rep. Blake Farenthold accused of creating 'hostile' sexually charged workplace


A former communications officer for Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) is suing her old office, alleging that she was fired for complaining about borderline sexual harassment.
The former staffer, Lauren Greene, alleges that Farenthold told other staffers he had "sexual fantasies" about her, commented in sexually suggestive ways about her clothing, and "regularly made comments designed to gauge whether [Greene] was interested in a sexual relationship." The suit further alleges that Farenthold and his chief of staff, Bob Haueter, then fired her after she complained about the mistreatment.
While running for his first term in 2010, Farenthold came under fire after a picture of him wearing duck pajamas and posing with a woman in lingerie at a Texas nightclub made the media rounds.
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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
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