Schwarzenegger takes sexual harassment course

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose campaign was dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct, voluntarily took a training course about preventing sexual harassment after his election.

The two-hour course was conducted by a deputy attorney general who is an expert in employment and discrimination law, Mr Schwarzenegger’s spokeswoman Margita Thompson said yesterday.

Mr Schwarzenegger took the course earlier this year along with his senior staff, who were required to take the class as part of his administration’s policy, according to Ms Thompson.

The training is optional for state-wide elected officials.

Five days before his election, the Los Angeles Times detailed allegations from six women who said Mr Schwarzenegger groped or sexually harassed them between 1975 and 2000. By the October 7 election, the number had grown to 16.

The action movie star apologised for having “behaved badly” toward women but refused to discuss the allegations in detail. He pledged to hire an investigator after the election to look into the allegations, but a month later said he would not.