Ashley sexual harassment complainant, Alysha, slams process and demands change as Premier apologises

Alysha publicly addressed the matter outside Parliament House after Premier Peter Gutwein confirmed he would meet with her on Wednesday to discuss her experiences and her calls for change.

She made the complaint in late 2019 after a colleague referred to her as looking like a "Japanese f*** doll" in a room of senior colleagues, who then informed her of the remarks. Alysha had just been appointed as a clinical practice consultant at Ashley.

Six months later she was informed her complaint "had been substantiated" and was being treated as a possible breach of the state service Code of Conduct, with another investigation to start.

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"I was prolifically bullied following reporting this," Alysha said.

"I continued to report what was occurring to my leadership and my department who were largely dismissive and in fact dissuaded me from formalising additional complaints."

She was still required to work in the office next to the accused.

Several months ago, Alysha was told an outcome had been reached.

"However, I was told that I did not have the right to know what this outcome was - simply that one had been reached," she said.

"This was said to be because this was a matter between the employer and the accused."

Alysha watched with interest the debate in Parliament regarding allegations against Franklin Labor MHA David O'Byrne, in which Mr Gutwein urged Labor leader Rebecca White to do more to provide safe ways for women to come forward.

Alysha said the comments were commendable, but she was ultimately left disappointed when she did not receive a response from a letter she sent to Mr Gutwein, other than an acknowledgment email on the morning of the debate.

"I explained how unsafe and unprotected I felt and how incredibly hard it had been being displaced through no fault of my own," she said.

"I explained the tremendous impact that the clearly inadequate process undertaken by my department had taken on myself and my family.

"I asked to be heard and to be helped."

Then, on Monday morning, the outcome of her complaint was made public by Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Jenny Gale during budget estimates.

"It was an acutely distressing moment for me," Alysha said.

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"I was alerted by someone that they were speaking about me in Parliament. I tuned in with my children and heard the outcome of something that I have been waiting to hear for nearly two years.

"I was getting my children ready for school as I was listening, and actually threw up in front of them because of such profound shock."

On top of the shock at having the matter publicly disclosed, Alysha said the "no breach" finding left her questioning the entire process.

"How can it be that two investigative processes lasting 22 months with witnesses who are senior managers at AYDC, who actually personally informed me of the repulsive remarks made about my appearance in a room full of staff, could result in no breach being found?" she said.

"If being referred to as a 'Japanese f*** doll' in a room full of my senior colleagues, as a senior staff member myself, does not constitute a breach of the state code of conduct, I cannot for the life of me understand what would.

"If indeed that does not meet a breach of the state Code of Conduct, then that document needs to be burnt."

Alysha said she was aware of other women who were "absolutely petrified" of raising similar concerns based on her experiences with the complaints process.

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By speaking publicly, she was likely to be in breach of the Code of Conduct, Alysha said.

"I am doing so because I have a daughter, and I don't know that I could live with myself doing nothing after the things that occurred yesterday and the injustices that I am aware of and that I'm going to share with the Premier tomorrow," she said.

"I have pursued every other possible avenue to be heard, including writing directly to the Premier, and there has been no adequate response thus far."

During Legislative Council Estimates today, Mr Gutwein said an independent review would be conducted within 30 days, looking into the details of the sexual harassment complaint and more specifically, the manner in which those details were raised within budget estimates on Monday.

Initial details of the sexual harassment complaint were raised by Labor and the Greens, with Ms Gale informing the hearing that an investigation into the complaint concluded that misconduct had not occurred.

Mr Gutwein described the way in which the outcome was disclosed as unfortunate.

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"In terms of what occurred yesterday, with Alysha here in the chamber, I want to apologise for what was a misstep," he said.

"It is not my intention today to discuss in any detail at all in terms of the process or current circumstances of that investigation, yesterday was a demonstration of why a parliamentary committee shouldn't do that.

"I've spoken to Alysha this morning. I will be meeting with her tomorrow ...There will be an independent review conducted, at arms length of government, of the process that occurred here."

Alysha said the comments in estimates on Monday were "not feeling very easily forgivable".

She will also raise concerns about the safety of children at Ashley.

"That is an issue that is closer to my heart than even these matters, and it's a far more significant issue, it affects more people and the people that it affects are far more vulnerable," Alysha said.

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