U.K. defense secretary resigns after allegations of harassment

British Defense Minister Michael Fallon sent his letter of resignation to Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday, writing, "I accept that in the past I have fallen below the high standards that we require of the armed forces that I have the honor to represent."

Fallon is a forceful May ally, and in recent weeks, he was one of several lawmakers accused of inappropriate behavior. He apologized earlier in the week for touching a radio reporter's knee in 2002, but in his letter to May, said other allegations made against him "have been false." Fallon is the first to resign amid the scandal, and his replacement is expected to be announced Thursday.

May has already demanded investigations into reports that her deputy, Damian Green, made a sexual advance toward a young woman and a Cabinet minister asked his female secretary to purchase sex toys. A Labour Party activist has also accused a senior party member of rape, and Parliament aides and researchers have compiled a list of people they have branded "sex pests," Reuters reports. House of Commons leader Andrea Leadsom on Monday said the government is going to get tough on sexual harassment claims, enforcing a code of conduct and setting up a grievance procedure.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.