UND President Urges ‘Swift Action’ From Lawmakers in Luke Simons Scandal
MINOT, N.D. — Rep. Luke Simons, a member of the controversial Bastiat Caucus from Dickinson, faces many accusations of harassment from women who work in and around the Legislature.
These accusations stretch back years, but one of the most recent examples involves a legislative intern.
Earlier this year Rep. Brandy Pyle of Casselton, one of two Republican lawmakers to accuse Simons of harassment, documented the incident in an email sent to Legislative Council. She also discussed the matter with me during a recent episode of my podcast. Simons allegedly told the intern he’d like to run his hands through her hair. The intern also reported comments Simons made about Pyle, including that older photos of her made her look like “a schoolgirl” and that longer hair made her look “Indian” or “Chinese.”
According to a campus email sent by University of North Dakota President Andrew Aramcost, that intern is a University of North Dakota student.