Incoming Hinds County district attorney Jody Owens accused of sexual harassment by former colleagues

Several women who have worked with incoming Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens said he sexually harassed them during his tenure over the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Jackson office.

The allegations were published by The Appeal, a national criminal justice publication, Friday morning.

The article details a number of alleged incidents including inappropriate touching, unsolicited comments on physical appearance and unwanted advances, citing interviews with 17 people who had worked or considered working in the civil rights organization’s Jackson office. Ten of those interviewed told The Appeal they had experienced, witnessed or had knowledge of Owens harassing female employees.

One former employee also filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission this summer. The complaint includes “both specific interactions she allegedly had with Owens and a culture in the office in which, she said, his behavior was allowed to continue unchecked,” according to The Appeal.

Read more: https://mississippitoday.org/2019/10/11/incoming-hinds-county-district-attorney-jody-owens-accused-of-sexual-harassment-by-former-colleagues/