Scoop: GOP state rep faces sexual harassment lawsuit
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A former State House aide is accusing Rep. John Gaskey (R-Carver) of making unwanted advances while she was on the job and later firing her after she rejected him.
Why it matters: The suit, filed by Kayla Churchill, a Republican state committeewoman who worked for Gaskey as his State House aide, lays out a chronology of alleged misconduct.
The other side: "Mrs. Churchill has had some difficult personal circumstances, and she is more or less fishing for money," Gaskey's attorney, Michael Walsh, told Axios. "There is absolutely no basis to any of these charges."
- An investigation by the House's equal employment opportunity officer into Churchill's accusations found in March that Gaskey did not violate the House's rules against harassment and discrimination.
Churchill claims Gaskey invited her on a business trip to Indiana, which she called inappropriate and "a little creepy." Churchill ultimately did not go on the trip.
- Gaskey invited her to swim in his pool, saying, according to Churchill's suit, "'come by for a swim, and bring the kids, or don't,' followed by a suggestive wink."
- She claims Gaskey arrived uninvited to her hospital room after a minor car crash and gave her get-well gifts including bath salts, candles and body lotion.
Churchill says she was terminated in late 2025 after resisting Gaskey's advances, according to the civil complaint filed in Suffolk Superior Court this month.
The suit alleges Gaskey made explicit quid pro quo demands tied to Churchill's continued employment.
- Churchill's complaint also alleges Gaskey resented her boyfriend and fired her over the phone when he learned of the relationship.
- "There was definitely no harassment. There was definitely no retaliation," Walsh told Axios.
The intrigue: Churchill claims she was given a $1,000 payment, framed as legal defense money, while she was in a feud among Somerset-area Republicans.
- The filing states Gaskey and his wife gave Churchill the cash to hire a "bulldog" attorney to sue a political rival for defamation.
- Walsh told Axios the $1,000 payment was a personal gift so Churchill could buy Christmas presents for her children.
Catch up quick: Churchill first drew attention in 2023 running for the Freetown School Committee, when she entered local schools under a fake name to test security screening.
- The stunt made headlines but didn't win votes. She finished last with 158.
Gaskey, a first-term lawmaker, took office in January 2025. The suit alleges the inappropriate conduct began during his campaign in 2024 and continued once he was in office in 2025.
- The complaint brings five counts of sexual harassment, alleging a pattern of hostile workplace behavior, explicit quid pro quo demands and retaliation.
What's next: No hearing date has been reported.