State Rep. Paul McMurtry Accused Of Grabbing Woman's Backside

BOSTON, MA — Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo is forming a special committee to investigate allegations that State Rep. Paul McMurtry, D-Dedham, grabbed the backside of a female lawmaker during an orientation cocktail hour.

The investigation comes after four fellow House members reported the allegations to DeLeo, Catherine Williams, a spokeswoman for DeLeo told the Boston Globe.

McMurtry, who serves in the 11th Norfolk District (Dedham, Westwood, Walpole), denied the allegations and told the Boston Globe he welcomes the investigation.

"Relative to my personal conduct, I can assure you the allegations are absolutely, positively, unequivocally not true," McMurtry said in a statement. "I will participate in any review that leads to the truth of these matters."

The speaker's office said the allegation was "characterized by more than one member as a 'rumor.'" All four representatives denied first-hand knowledge of the incident. DeLeo did not identify them. The first complaint came on Dec. 19, the second on Dec. 27, then Dec. 29, and most recently on Jan. 4, according to DeLeo's office.

State officials said they brought the matter to an outside consultant, who determined that the allegations were plausible, the Boston Globe reported. An ad hoc committee was set up and will investigate and decide whether and how to discipline McMurtry.

The Dec. 13 cocktail reception took place at University of Massachusetts-Amherst. The reception was part of a three-day orientation the school organized for incoming state senators and representatives.

Last March, the legislature unanimously passed changes to House procedures for dealing with sexual harassment allegations.

"The only thing I can say at this time is the fact that, first of all, the House has a really comprehensive set of rules to handle, to deal with situations such as this," DeLeo told reporters after speaking at a State House event on Thursday morning. "I can tell you from my perspective as speaker, I kept to those rules and acted accordingly."

For more on this story, check out the Boston Globe

Photo by Jenna Fisher