New York City TLC elaborates on sexual harassment rules

NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City's Taxi and Limousine Commission is further defining its harassment rules to protect passengers from improper behavior and conversations from cabbies.

The TLC's is acting on its goal to specify what sexual contact and harassment are, as well as increase the fines for any drivers who violate those rules. Rather than rule changes or a crackdown, they define the move as "administrative housecleaning."

The current rules are written as such: "While performing the duties and responsibilities of a Licensee, a Licensee must not threaten, harass, or abuse any person, and must not distract or attempt to distract any Service Animal."

The new rules define both in the following manner:

"Sexual Contact means any touching of the sexual or other intimate parts of a person. It includes the touching of the licensee by the victim, as well as the touching of the victim by the licensee, whether directly or through clothing, as well as the emission of ejaculate by the licensee upon any part of the victim, clothed or unclothed. Sexual Harassment means engaging in any conversation related to sexual acts and sexual contact, or any other matter relating to sexual conduct, gender, physical appearance, expressing a desire to see or touch another person's body or expressing a desire to enter into any type of relationship with another person."

Penalties would be $2,000 and license revocation for any sexual conduct violations and $1,000 and a 30-day suspension for sexual harassment violations. Currently the fines range from $350 to $1,000 and/or a suspension or license revocation.

A hearing will be held on the proposed changes on April 21.