Democratic Rep. Brenda Lawrence's (Mich.) office confirmed Tuesday that she placed her chief of staff on leave after former employees accused him of sexual harassment.
Dwayne Duron Marshall was suspended after a report that four former staffers accuse him of inappropriate actions toward them, Politico reported. Allegations include comments about the staffers' physical appearance and unwanted touching.
Lawrence and Marshall have denied ever hearing anyone complain about the chief of staff's behavior in the office. The women who came forward said they didn't use the words "sexual harassment" with Lawrence when they described what Marshall did, and Marshall denied the charges entirely.
"In my 28 years of public service, I have never had any kind of complaint filed against me nor have I ever sexually harassed anyone!" Marshall said. "In fact, for the last 17 years of my career, I have directly represented women in the workplace. Despite these slanderous accusations, I will continue to focus on working on behalf of the constituents in our district."
Lawrence announced Marshall's leave in a statement Tuesday.
"The Chief of Staff has been placed on administrative leave pending results of the investigation," Lawrence said in the statement. "I will continue to fight for an environment free from sexual harassment and my commitment has not wavered."
Lawrence has also proposed legislation to address sexual harassment claims within Congress.
Lawrence said she "requested the assistance of House and outside independent management resources to investigate and assess the current environment of my office so that I can take appropriate corrective action as necessary."