Husband Of Massachusetts State Senate President Accused Of Groping 4 Men

Massachusetts State Senate President Stanley Rosenberg, right, and his husband, Bryon Hefner. Image by twitter

By Ari Feldman December 1, 2017

Four men are accusing the husband of the president of the Massachusetts state senate of sexual misconduct, according to a report in the Boston Globe.

Stanley Rosenberg’s husband, Bryon Hefner, is accused of groping the genitals of three men when Rosenberg was standing close by. A fourth man reported being kissed against his will. The report found “no evidence that the Senate president knew about the assaults.”

Hefner, a powerful lobbyist in Massachusetts state politics, offered political support from him and Rosenberg in exchange for sexual favors. The four men said they had long felt powerless to accuse Hefner of sexual misconduct because of his perceived influence over Rosenberg. Each of the men spoke anonymously.

“I was shocked to learn of these anonymous and hurtful allegations,” Hefner said in a prepared statement, issued through his attorney. “As one can imagine, it is incredibly difficult to respond to allegations by unnamed and unidentified individuals that involve an extended period of time, particularly in the current environment.”

Rosenberg said on Thursday that he supports an independent investigation into the accusations against Hefner.

Rosenberg and Hefner have been together since 2008. Rosenberg has said he “would not have come out if he [Hefner] had not come into my life.”

Contact Ari Feldman at [email protected] or on Twitter @aefeldman

Ari Feldman is a staff writer at the Forward. He covers Jewish religious organizations, synagogue life, anti-Semitism and the Orthodox world. If you have any tips, you can email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @aefeldman.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO