Report: Texas Film Agency Head Harassed Subordinates

AUSTIN (AP) - The outgoing director of the Texas Film Commission was allowed to keep his job even though he was disciplined last year for sexual harassment and a later investigation found similar behavior this year, a newspaper reported.

The Austin American-Statesman reported Monday that the most recent investigation of Bob Hudgins also raised concern about gender discrimination in hiring practices.

Hudgins, an employee of Governor Rick Perry's office, has denied any wrongdoing and said he resigned to spend more time with family.

Hudgins submitted his resignation Sept. 1, effective Sept. 30, but his resignation date was then pushed back to Nov. 30.

His lawyer, John Michael Measells, said Hudgins' bosses asked him to stay on through the Nov. 2 election. He said Perry's office instructed Hudgins not to speak to reporters until after he leaves office.

But Perry's spokeswoman, Lucy Nashed, said in an e-mail that Hudgins asked for and was given an extension to allow him to complete certain tasks.

"The allegations and concerns raised regarding Mr. Hudgins were quickly and appropriately investigated, disciplinary actions were taken, and he resigned his position in the film office," Nashed said.

She said Hudgins resigned before any action was taken as a result of the review.

According to a May 2009 memo that the American-Statesman obtained under Texas open records laws, a governor's office investigation determined that Hudgins sexually harassed a female subordinate repeatedly between 2005 and 2009.

The woman told human resources officials that Hudgins kissed her on the cheek on several occasions and "makes physical contact with her on an ongoing basis by touching and rubbing her shoulders, neck, arms and back in an affectionate manner," according to the 2009 memo. Hudgins was placed on probation for six months.

When Hudgins was placed on probation, he was notified that he must "refrain from touching, rubbing, hugging, patting, kissing or having any other inappropriate physical contact" with people he comes in contact with through work, according to a disciplinary document provided to the American-Statesman by Measells.

This year, a governor's office investigation found that he had kissed another female subordinate on the cheek once. It also raised new concerns about discriminatory hiring and pay practices. The review also found that interviews with commission staff indicated "severe deficiencies in managerial leadership" by Hudgins, according to an August 2010 memo.

Measells said the allegations were submitted by "a couple of disgruntled women." He noted that greeting with a kiss is common in the film industry. The women's names were redacted from the versions of the memos released by the governor's office.

In 2010, human resources officials looked into several additional allegations. That included a female staffer's claim that Hudgins told her that men expect to be paid more than women, according to a memo from human resources team leader Edna Jackson to Perry chief of staff Ray Sullivan.

An internal review of Hudgins' hiring practices raised concerns about his paying men more than women to do the same job. Also, most of the staffers he hired were women. The 2010 memo said he has hired four men and 13 women.

Measells said the analysis is inaccurate and that Hudgins can explain why after he leaves his post.

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