OLYMPIA, Wash. - Republican Sen. Pam Roach has been kicked off of a legislative task force following complaints that she verbally abused sex trafficking victims.
Democratic Lt. Gov. Brad Owen sent Roach a letter Monday removing her from the Human Trafficking Task Force after he received "numerous complaints" about her alleged conduct at a Dec. 14 meeting of the panel.
Roach has a history of controversy and criticism over her conduct. The reprimands date back to 1999, involving staff members and colleagues, but now Lt. Governor Brad Owen says they involve victims of human trafficking.
"I'm just appalled. These people of anyone in the world have been seriously traumatized; their lives have been turned upside," Lt. Governor Owen he told KING 5.
"To me, this is as serious as it can be," he continued.
Owen sent Senator Pam Roach the letter on Monday, removing her from the State Task Force Against Trafficking for making comments he described as bigoted and victim blaming.
An assistant superintendent who attended the December meeting said Roach "made references to the idea that our young girls wouldn't be exploited if they didn't have tattoos and wear nose rings."
Owen also said Roach alleged victims probably spent their money on drugs and asked if the labor trafficked persons were illegals.
"To give you an idea of the trauma, they have said that they don't feel they can come back," Owen said.
Senator Pam Roach told KING 5 a very different story of what transpired.
"Brad Owen stands before us without ever talking to me, without ever talking to the other legislators, only hearing some complaints which I never seen, never had a chance to rebut," said Roach in an interview Monday.
Lt. Gov. Owen, meanwhile, told KING 5 he didn't believe there was a need to speak to Senator Roach directly, based on the reports received by his office."
"The history was there. The comments were so consistent between the numerous emails and individuals that we had received information from, and it was very consistent with past practices that I didn't feel there was really a need to talk to her, yet again," said Owen.
"There was no abuse whatsoever, if there was they could have stopped the meeting, that didn't happen, and I never really addressed the people who were testifying," Roach countered.
Senator Roach told KING 5 the target of her ire was the task force's administering agency, the Department of Commerce.
"It took them seven months, seven months to have the first meeting," she said.
"The Lieutenant Governor was not present, there was no recording, only to hear from the Department of Commerce that was not happy because they themselves took so long to enact the law that we wanted done in an emergency fashion."
"What do we think?" asked Roach. "We think they were taken aback by the fact that someone would call them on their ineptness when it comes to helping people who are victims of trafficking."
Roach says the Lieutenant Governor has long been biased against her.
Owen, meanwhile, says he believes Roach should be removed from Senate, a procedural move that he acknowledges is out of his hands.
"I've done as much as I can do," said Owen. "I do believe the Senate should look into it again, and the Senate should be serious about what they do, if they do anything. Personally, I think they should."
Republican leadership told KING 5 Monday it is reviewing the complaint.
Roach was banned from the Senate Republican Caucus in 2010 after leaders said she repeatedly mistreated staff and should get counseling to manage her anger. She was later allowed to back into caucus.
