Former Montana state senator goes public with accusations against Windy Boy

HELEN, Mont. — New calls have been made for Montana State Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy to resign as he faces sexual harassment allegations.

Former State Sen. Jen Gross, who represented District 25 in Billings for eight years, posted a Substack story on Friday about her history with Windy Boy.

Gross said that she was the senator who made the initial harassment allegation against him in 2017 and that an investigation into him substantiated her claims.

“During my first session as a state senator, Representative Jonathan Windy Boy sent me a series of inappropriate text messages," the post reads. "I was a freshman legislator. I was the youngest member of the Senate. There was no formal harassment policy in the Montana Legislature. There was no clear process for addressing conduct that was not okay, while protecting the people who came forward from ridicule, retaliation, or unwanted public exposure.”

She said the legislature adopted a policy as a result of that complaint, which for her was a success.

"I have been silent because I believed the policy was the result that mattered, and because I had no interest in becoming the story," Gross said. "He has now made my silence the story by calling my substantiated complaint a rumor."

Windy Boy was stripped of his committees in the senate. On Friday, the Senate president called on him to resign once again.

“I applaud and thank former Sen. Jen Gross for coming forward and publicly identifying herself to help hold Sen. Windy Boy accountable for his yearslong pattern of sexual harassment," Sen. Matt Regier said. "He needs to resign."

Windy Boy restarted his congressional campaign on Wednesday after previously suspending it over the allegations.