We’ve created the following transcription to the best of our ability, with three contributors giving input on the final product. If you hear anything we haven’t, please reach out.
The individuals who spoke during the conversation in question were: County Board Members Todd Welch (committee chair), Alvin Wire, and Sam Newton; Stephenson County Treasurer Stephanie Helms; and an unidentified female voice.
Transcription by Jody Coss, Nick Nunez, and Carl Utt:
-Begin transcript-
Wire: …The third one that I, under sexual harassment, I would add H (inaudible) G. G was leering and ogling. I would add H, enticement – any dress or bodily actions which could entice someone to commit any of the above actions. This could be controversial, but uh…
*crosstalk*
(Believed to be Sam Newton, off-camera): That’s against the law.
(Believed to be Todd Welch, off-camera): Yeah. That’s, enticement…
(Believed to be Stephanie Helms, off-camera): Yeah.
(Believed to be Sam Newton, off-camera): Yeah that’s not something you can do.
Alvin Wire (stuttering): (Inaudible) Yeah, well that’s some… (trails off).
(Believed to be Sam Newton, off-camera): That’s controversial, that’s even and you can’t… What, what’s enticement mean, you’re not going to entice anybody else, so…You going to run into a legal issue that you, that I, I’m not a lawyer, but I’m telling you what I’ve seen that ain’t even, that won’t fly. But it sounds good, I mean (inaudible)… (trails off).
*crosstalk, inaudible comments, and laughter*
(Believed to be Todd Welch, off-camera): That, that would be similar to being ruled on as into uh, basically finding a victim at fault.
(Believed to be Stephanie Helms, off-camera): Yeah.
(Believed to be Todd Welch, off-camera): Is what that would be. So…
(Believed to be Sam Newton, off-camera): (inaudible) what my pastor had on, that’s different, but I (inaudible), that ain’t even worth the time of day.
Todd Welch: Right, but that would be in the eyes of the court, you would be putting your victim at fault. Then, uh, that would be definitely not a direction that we would want to go on a policy. (Inaudible comment, motioning toward Wire).
Alvin Wire: But, having a major cleavage could entice someone to ogle. And that’s the thing that I’m getting at.
(Believed to be Stephanie Helms, off-camera): Self control!
(Female voice off-camera): Exactly.
*laughter*
(Believed to be Stephanie Helms, off-camera): Self control!
Todd Welch: Next. Next –
Alvin Wire: Yeah, but see, that, that’s enticement.
Multiple off-camera voices: Oh. No…
(Believed to be Sam Newton, off-camera): That’s not against the law. Me enticing you is not against the law.
(Female voice off-camera): (inaudible) …mascara.
*laughter and inaudible comments*
Todd Welch: But that, but no, the policy cannot, you know, *sighs* dictate the, the directions of a…
Alvin Wire: In other words it’s one-sided, it’s anti-male but not… (trails off).
*inaudible comments, verbal exasperation*
(Believed to be Sam Newton, off-camera): (inaudible) …enticing… (inaudible).
Alvin Wire: (inaudible) …to men… (trails off)
(Believed to be Sam Newton, off-camera): (inaudible)
Todd Welch: Alvin, you’re driving us into the deep weeds in ways we shouldn’t go, here. That’s, I think we should move on from that discussion because there’s some legal implications to those, um, if we put those things into policy. So…
Alvin Wire: I said it would be controversial, I thinks it’s (inaudible).
(Believed to be Stephanie Helms, off-camera): Or illegal.
Todd Welch: And illegal. Yes! Yes, there. So, any other questions or comments on the policy itself?
Brad Hartog (via Zoom call): Mr. Chairman?
Todd Welch: Mr. Hartog.
Brad Hartog (via Zoom call): Thank you.
*Brad Hartog proceeded to change the subject away from Alvin Wire’s proposal. It was not discussed again.*
-End transcript-
