The Missouri House formally reprimanded Democratic Rep. Jeremy Dean after he sent a sexually explicit text to Republican Rep. Cecelie Williams during a September redistricting sit-in. The House approved sanctions 138-10, removing Dean from committees, ordering him to keep at least a 50-foot distance and requiring additional harassment training. An ethics committee found the message inappropriate and recommended penalties, though Williams called Dean's apology insincere.
Missouri Representative Reprimanded After Sending Sexually Explicit Text During Redistricting Sit-In
FILE - Missouri state Rep. Jeremy Dean, D-Springfield, glances up from his computer in the Missouri House chamber during a special legislation session, Sept. 8, 2025 in Jefferson City, Mo. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri's House on Thursday issued a formal reprimand to Democratic state Rep. Jeremy Dean after he sent a sexually explicit text message to Republican state Rep. Cecelie Williams while participating in a high-profile protest over a congressional redistricting plan.
The House voted 138-10 to approve the sanctions, which bar Dean from serving on House committees, require him to remain at least 50 feet (15 meters) away from the targeted lawmaker, and mandate additional sexual harassment training. Lawmakers also said his seating and parking assignments could be changed.
Dean sent the message on the evening of Sept. 4 while he was on the House floor during a sit-in protesting a Republican plan to redraw Missouri's U.S. House districts. Williams received the text as she attended a House Elections Committee meeting in the Capitol basement; the message included a sexually explicit description referencing the president.
An ethics complaint led to an internal House investigation. According to the House Ethics Committee report, Dean acknowledged that the message was inappropriate and unprofessional and submitted a written apology; the committee unanimously recommended the penalties that the House imposed. House Minority Leader Ashley Aune had already removed Dean from his committee assignments in September, when the message became public.
"At any other job, a message like that would be grounds for immediate termination -- no questions asked," said Rep. Cecelie Williams, who identified herself as a domestic-abuse survivor. She told colleagues the text reopened painful memories and made her more cautious while moving around the Capitol.
Williams said Dean should have been expelled from the legislature and called his apology insincere. Dean sat silently in the chamber as Williams spoke.
The case adds to a wider pattern of misconduct allegations involving state lawmakers. The Associated Press has identified at least 157 state lawmakers who have faced accusations of sexual misconduct or harassment since 2017. Recent related developments include the resignation of Nebraska state Sen. Dan McKeon ahead of an expulsion debate and the sentencing of former South Carolina state Rep. RJ May to 17½ years in prison after pleading guilty to charges tied to sharing child sexual-abuse material.
This reprimand underscores ongoing tensions in state capitols over conduct, accountability and the political clash surrounding redistricting efforts.
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