Harness Racing Hall of Famer Alan Leavitt has been removed from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission over allegations of sexual harassment, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. The 85-year-old was removed via an executive order from Gov. Andy Beshear issued on July 16.
Amy Cubbage, Beshear’s general counsel, told the Herald-Leader: “There is a standard of conduct and his actions clearly violate those standards and necessitated removal.”
Cubbage cited “unwanted and unacceptable statements and conduct” by Leavitt toward an employee of the commission.
Benjamin Long, general counsel of the state Public Protection Cabinet, sent Leavitt “at least” three emails directing him to cease communications with the employee, and directing him to view a sexual harassment training video. Commission chairman Jonathan Rabinowitz also called Leavitt and told him to cease contacting the employee. Leavitt did not complete the training, and claimed ignorance of the communication directives when speaking to the employee in person.
Leavitt shared his emails to the commission employee with the Herald-Leader, and claims the harassment allegations stem “from my stand against the actions the commission is taking re the new horseman’s organization.
“I have also objected to being shunted aside as the chairman of the sire stakes advisory committee. Those are the real reasons you are cooking up these phony charges. If you want to go further with this harassment, then I suggest we all sit down with Gov. Beshear and let him hear about all this.”
Leavitt said he was “happy to drop this whole matter here and now if you are, but I’m not taking any training course in avoiding sexual harassment. As a graduate of Andover and Harvard, I am well aware of what it is, and I would be going against every moral precept I learned there if I were to ever engage in something so vile.”
Leavitt is the president of the Kentucky Standardbred Breeders Association and of Walnut Hall Ltd.
Read more at the Lexington Herald-Leader.
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