A former state senator has publicly identified herself for the first time as the source of a confidential 2018 sexual harassment complaint against state Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, directly challenging his recent claims that allegations against him are part of a politically motivated smear campaign.
Jennifer Gross disclosed Friday in a post on her Substack that she filed the complaint after receiving what she described as inappropriate text messages from Windy Boy during the 2017 legislative session. At the time, Gross was serving her first term in the Legislature, while Windy Boy was a member of the Montana House of Representatives.
Although the existence of the complaint and subsequent investigation had been previously reported, Gross had not publicly identified herself until now.
Gross said she did not know Windy Boy had entered the race for Montana’s eastern congressional seat until legislative staff contacted her last month regarding renewed media inquiries into the 2018 complaint. She said she then learned Windy Boy had briefly withdrawn from the race after separate allegations involving decades-old sexual abuse claims surfaced. According to Gross, she decided to speak publicly after learning this week that Windy Boy had resumed his campaign.
In a statement released Wednesday, Windy Boy argued the accusations emerging against him were part of a coordinated political attack driven by primary opponents and the Montana Democratic Party. He described the allegations as rumors and slander designed to influence the election. Windy Boy did not respond to requests for comment Friday.
Gross rejected that characterization, writing that Windy Boy’s effort to dismiss the recent allegations also appeared to minimize her previously substantiated complaint.
According to Gross, she was among the youngest lawmakers serving in the Legislature at the time and no formal legislative harassment policy existed. After receiving the messages, she said she sought advice from another House member, who encouraged her to document the issue in writing. Gross said she emailed Windy Boy in January 2018 stating the messages were inappropriate, and that he apologized within hours.
Legislative Services later hired outside investigator Jean Faure, a Great Falls attorney, to examine the matter. Faure reviewed the messages and interviewed those involved before completing the investigation in March 2018.
A redacted version of the investigative findings, first reported by the Associated Press in 2019, concluded Windy Boy had sent harassing text messages to a female lawmaker between August and October 2017. The report recommended steps be taken to prevent similar conduct in the future. Gross emphasized Friday that the complaint was formally substantiated.
Windy Boy did not face formal disciplinary action tied directly to the findings. However, he resigned as chairman of the State-Tribal Relations Committee before legislative leadership could remove him. In the aftermath of the investigation, the Legislature implemented a confidential reporting and investigative process for complaints involving harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.
The renewed attention comes as pressure continues to mount for Windy Boy to resign from the Montana Senate. Leaders from both political parties have publicly called for his resignation. While lawmakers cannot remove a sitting senator outside of a legislative session, legislative leaders stripped Windy Boy of his committee assignments earlier this week. Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers has also urged him to step down.
At least two additional women have come forward in recent weeks with separate allegations. One former legislative staffer alleged Windy Boy showed her a nude photograph of himself near the end of the 2017 legislative session, though she said she did not speak publicly until other accusations surfaced last month.
Another woman alleged Windy Boy exposed himself to her daughter and niece during an online chatroom interaction roughly 25 years ago. Windy Boy referenced the matter only indirectly in his Wednesday statement, describing it as an allegation from more than two decades ago that “went nowhere.”
Gross wrote Friday that she was not suggesting all of the allegations should be viewed as identical, but said the public should examine how institutions responded — or failed to respond — when concerns were raised.
By: DNU Staff