Female Uber driver accuses US Senator of sexual harassment

A female Uber driver has accused a Republican state senator Bryce Marlatt from Oklahoma of sexually harassing her.

The driver said she picked up Marlatt around 10 p.m. on June 26 to drop him off at a hotel in Oklahoma City.

She then claimed that Marlatt later grabbed her forcefully and started kissing her neck while she was driving.

“She was giving this person a ride,” said Oklahoma City Police Department Master Sergeant Gary Knight, according to KFOR News. “He was in the back seat. And, he kept reaching around, grabbing her, kissing on her, things along those lines.”

Read also: SEXUAL HARASSMENT: Uber CEO may step aside

Two days later, the driver reported the incident and said “she was unsure what she needed to do,” according to a police report obtained by BuzzFeed that redacted the names of the driver and the alleged assailant. Based on basic information, the driver was able to find a picture of Marlatt online.

“The senator was shocked and surprised at the allegations,” said Robert Don Gifford, Marlatt’s attorney. “He was, he really wants to get to the bottom of this. He’s asked us to reach out to Uber, which we have. We’re trying to get to the bottom of this and figure out what’s going on.”

According to the police report filed by the driver, Uber declined to provide her with information about her passenger; however, Uber said it was releasing information to law-enforcement officials.

 

RipplesNigeria ….without borders, without fears

Click here to download the Ripples Nigeria App for latest updates

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now