Lawrence city leaders interested in requiring some bar staff to receive sexual assault intervention training

City leaders have indicated they are interested in requiring that at least some staff at bars and other businesses that serve alcohol be trained to recognize and intervene in sexual harassment and assault.

As part of its meeting this week, the commission asked city staff to draft an ordinance that would make sexual assault intervention training mandatory for certain drinking establishment managers, beginning in about a year. The draft will come back for further consideration at a later date, at which time the commission will also discuss the requirements for the training and how the training will be funded.
The city issues a local license to drinking establishments, which is in addition to the state liquor license, and city legal staff has said the city could require certain training as a condition of the local license.
This is the second discussion the city has had about potentially requiring the training.