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A 35 year old State Senate employee has identified herself as the person who filed a complaint against Clearwater Senator Jack Latvala.  A written copy of the complain six instances she say the Senator touched her, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, Latvala has released dozens of text messages that paint a complicated picture.

35-year-old Rachel Perrin Rogers has come forward saying she is the woman who filed a sexual harassment complaint against State Senator Jack Latvala. In a statement provided by her lawyer she says:

“The confidentiality that I was promised under Florida law has been violated. I am fearful of the effect that this unethical action will have on other victims.”

The Clearwater Senator  countered by providing more than 130 text messages between the two, some work related, others political, some friendly.

“She obviously communicates with me unsolicited on a very frequent basis and has for four or five years. Has invited me and asked me to meet with her alone” Latvala told us.

In one message, Rogers tells Latvala there’s BBQ for lunch in her office. He says save me some, she responds with a plate and smiley face, and in another she says she donated to Latvala’s reelection effort. Perrin Rogers husband, Brian Hughes, is a political consultant.

“I believe it’s all political” says Latvala.  “I don’t think there’s an accident that out of 200 female employees in the Senate the one who has purportedly filed a complaint against me, is the wife of a political consultant. I don’t think it’s an accident.”

Citing the confidentiality of the investigation, the Senate President’s Office says it has no comment about these text messages.

In a response to the text messages Perrin Rodgers’ attorney tells us:

“At no time did my client invite or encourage Jack Latvala to touch private parts of her body. At no time did my client ask to be subjected to verbal or physical harassment.”

Latvala spent three hours with the special master investigating the case on Wednesday. Perrin Rogers has a Friday appointment. Meanwhile, the Senate President was meeting today with outside lawyers hired by the Senate.

After five years of trying to ban greyhound racing in the state legislature, voters may soon get to decide the fate of thousands of dogs. A panel of the Constitution Revision Commission today agreed to put the ban before voters in 2018. Sponsor Tom Lee says the revision effort won’t face the same obstacles that have thwarted lawmakers.

“Well the Legislature has different pressures than the Constitutional Revision Commission has. The Constitutional Revision Commission isn’t reliant upon special interest money to get reelected. They’re more free to vote their conscience and less encumbered by the deep pockets of some of these industries that have locked this bill down in the last few years” say Lee.

The ban would phase racing out over a three year period. An estimate eight thousand dogs are currently being bred or racing in the state. In a statement, Jack Cory from the Florida Greyhound Association says “if this proposal were passed it would result in the largest expansion of gambling in Florida’s history…it would convert all of Florida’s dog tracks into mini-casinos, which was amended on to this very bad proposal today.

Dr. Larry Robinson was unanimously voted in as the 12th President of Florida A&M University by the school’s board of Trustees.

“I just want to sort of start reaching out to our constituents and letting them know how important they are to us,” said Robinson. “That includes students, faculty, staff, alumni. So I’ll be meeting with my leadership team, talking about what we will do during the next days, weeks and months.”

It’s the latest achievement in Robinson’s 20-year career at the historically black college, but this isn’t the first time the nuclear chemist has led the school.

He was Interim President before the university hired its first female President, he took to position again after she was fired.

He also held the same title for a short period in 2007.

The university asked for and got permission to forego a national search for a new President.

Trustees Chairman Kelvin Lawson says it was the right decision.

“So in our mind there was just not a need to go out and expend the resources and time to search for an individual that was right under our nose,” said Lawson.

When we asked students what they wanted to see Robinson improve most didn’t know who he was.

The one student we found who did know Robinson wants to see the school do a better job of helping students navigate the financial aid process.

“I feel as though most students don’t know where to look for help as well as for monetary guidance,” said Raiyana Malone.

Robinson has work to do.

The six year graduation rate is only 39 percent and until this year, student enrollment has been faltering.

Robinson has already had some success attracting new students.

Under his leadership the school’s freshman enrollment up about 10% over last year.

A woman dubbed the “killer babysitter” was turned down for parole today. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, her murders of five children in Florida more than two decades ago had parents everywhere questioning whether it was safe to leave their kids with a babysitter.

Christine Falling was just 19 when she plead guilty to killing three children. In exchange, the state didn’t pursue charges for two other kids who died in her care, and it didn’t seek the death penalty. The charges may never have been filed is she hadn’t confessed.

“I choked here till she quit breathing and she’d turned purple” Falling said in the confession.

As a child, Falling reportedly strangled or dropped cats from high places to test their 9 lives. Her stepfather, Jessie Falling, who adopted her at age 4 was bewildered.

“Because she was a lover of children. I still say that” the stepfather told us in the fall of 1982.

Falling also later confessed to killing a 70 your old man her first day on the job as his housekeeper.

By law, Falling remains eligible for parole. But prosecutor Joy Powell from Perry told the review panel that the so called baby sitter from hell deserved no mercy.
“This woman killed five babies, from age two months to four year old. She says she just did it the way she saw on TV. She says she doesn’t know why she did it. Sometimes they cried and they made her mad. One time she just felt the urge” says Powell.

No one showed up on Falling’s behalf,

The panel showed no mercy. Christine Fallings presumptive release date is 2254, likely long after she dies.

Falling gets another hearing in 7 years. But the question asked across the county in the wake of the deaths: can you trust your babysitter? Is as relevant today as it was 25 years ago.

Until the final death, the first four children who died as well as the 70 year old man were all thought to have died of natural causes.

As the State Senate investigates harassment claims against a State Senator, a new report shows the state has spent 11 million dollars settling sexual harassment claims, mostly in the executive branch over the last 30 years. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, one veteran lawyer expects to see a hundred potential clients before the year is over.

The harassment payments go back to 1987, when the state legislature security paid 47 thousand dollars to analysts Kathy Jennings, who alleged improper touching.

“I said you know, Fred, come on, don’t mess up my hair and he said I don’t want to mess up your hair, I want to….”

Rick Johnson was the woman’s attorney. He still practices in the State Capitol and expects to see a hundred cases before the year is out.

Q:“How many instances go unreported to everyone that comes forward?”

“Oh, the vast majority, ten to one easily. Even that ones that come to me.”

The only other documented legislative settlement was 20 years ago, when lawmakers paid out 165 thousand dollars.

State Senator Jack Latvala is currently being investigated for allegedly improperly touching lobbyists and staff members.

6 our of 10 cases the state has settled come from the department of Corrections. The state paid 1.3 million to nurses who filed a class action suit. Attorney Johnson says when a claim is filed against the state, its fights tooth and nail.

“It undermines their human resources department, which is saying that we don’t put up with this and we encourage everybody to report it.

Earlier they year, Governor Rick Scott signed lHouse Bill 397, making it easier for sexual harassment to be reported.

The Governor’s office also asked us to tell you, only 2 percent of the claims paid were under his watch since taking office.

Florida’s 67 elections supervisors are continuing to talk with Homeland Security and the FBI over attempts to hack the voter database in some counties during the 2016 election, and as Mike Vasilinda tells us, Governor Rick Scott is now proposing money for more security at both the state and local level.

As many as a dozen of Florida’s 67 elections supervisors got suspicious emails last summer and fall that could have lead to a breach of the voters database. None were successful says Ron Labasky, the attorney for the Supervisors.

“Whatever the purpose of that, we don’t really know” says Labasky.

Taylor County Supervisor Dana Southerland was on the warning call with the FBI and others last year. She is the Supervisors Association President.

“Did they tell you you were in danger of being hacked?” We asked.

I don’t know that they used those words so to speak, but I think anytime you are dealing with electronics and computers, everybody is prone to something happening” says Southerland.

Governor Rick Scott is asking for a half million dollars to add five people at the state level. In an email, a spokesman for the Secretary of State told us: The Cybersecurity Unit will bolster current efforts and focus solely on cybersecurity for all of the department’s mission critical system

Another 1 point nine million would go to local supervisors.

If the money were divided equally, it wold be just over twenty eight thousand dollars a county. that wold go a lot further in a small county than a big one.”

“We’re sorta going through a number of protocols” says Labasky “talking to the state, Department of State, and some of the Federal people who brought information forward to find out what is needed.”

Final budget decisions are up to lawmakers, who could decide that supervisors need even more to make sure public confidence in elections isn’t eroded.

In addition to cyber security money, the Governor is also asking for $800,000 to assist individuals with disabilities and more than $445,000 for election fraud prevention.

The death two weeks ago today, an FSU fraternity pledge after a night of drinking at an off campus homeport a dampen today;’s homecoming parade. Following the death,  FSU President John Thrasher banned alcohol at all school events and banned greeks from taking part in campus activities. Now as mike Vasilinda tells us, the President is taking the alcohol ban on e step further.

Hundreds, not the usual thousands, lined the route for FSU’s homecoming parade. Alumna Nancy Bracewell as disappointed but not surprised,

“What do yo think of the turnout” we asked.

“It’s not good at all. It’s terrible actually” Bracewell responded.

Members of this fraternity said they would have had a float if they had not been banned from all activity following the death of a 20 Pi kappa Phi pledge two weeks ago. The few people watching from the Pi kappa house scattered when they saw our camera.After banning alcohol at all student activities, FSU President John Thrasher has now banned alcohol from the President Box for homecoming and the following home game,

“I mean, I think it would be a little bit hypocritical for use to serve alcohol in our box and ask them not to do what they are doing” says the President.

On Thursday, the President eased restrictions against Greek organizations. He’s allowing them to meet, but only with an advisor.

Students for the most part were taking the ban on Greek involvement in stride,

We caught up with Joyce Chiang riding on a float.

“Homecoming is supposed to be a time when we all come together and celebrate the school year, but obviously, we can’t do that this year like we have. We have a sorority under us F 85 under us and they can’t practice with the band homecoming, so it’s a little upsetting, but hopefully everything will be better” Chiang told us.

2017 will likely be a homecoming to remember, but for all the wrong reasons.

The President has not set a timetable for when Greek activity may resume. A vigil was held for 20 year old Andrew Coffey on Wednesday night.

All four announced democratic candidates today called on the chairman of their party to resign after six women came forward and said he leered at them and created a hostile environment by using a breast shaped exercise ball. The got they wish. Candidate and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew gillum says it is for the best.

“If women have to fell like they have to go two by two  into their bosses office to avoid an environment of fear or intimidation, or inappropriateness, then something is clearly wrong and we have to change that dynamic, so the chairman stepping down was the right thing to do” says Gillum.

Bittel says he is working with others in the party to set an election for his successor.