By JASON NOBLE

The Star's Jefferson City correspondent

JEFFERSON CITY | A state representative is concerned that her sexual orientation may have led to the rejection of her appointment to a House committee on children and families.

Rep. Jeanette Mott Oxford, a St. Louis Democrat who is gay, was put forward by her party last month as one of its five appointees to the Special Standing Committee on Children and Families. But House Speaker Ron Richard, a Joplin Republican, rejected her appointment and selected another Democratic lawmaker instead.

In the weeks since, Oxford says she has not received a convincing explanation for why she was left off the committee.

“The only reason cited to me so far as for why I am not on the committee is that ‘some members find me offensive,’ ” Oxford wrote in a letter last month to Richard. “I do not know if this is about my sexual orientation, my stance on Roe vs. Wade, or what.”

Richard and the committee’s leaders, however, say no personal issues weighed into the decision. Richard said he passed over Oxford to appoint Rep. Michael Corcoran, a St. Louis County Democrat with whom he has a good relationship and who had expressed interest in the committee.

“Mike Corcoran wanted it and he’s one of my favorite guys,” Richard said. “He asked for it.”

Rep. Cynthia Davis, an O’Fallon Republican and the committee chairwoman, also called any talk of sexual orientation influencing Oxford’s committee assignments “gossip.”

“It’s absurd,” Davis said. “That never was an issue, and never was brought up in committee or out of committee.”

The House Journal, however, shows that Richard initially appointed Rep. Belinda Harris, a Hillsboro Democrat, to Children and Families. But Harris had been assigned to too many committees, opening the spot for Corcoran, who wanted to join a committee concerning education or children’s issues.

Corcoran said he supported Oxford’s appointment, and became interested in joining only after it was clear she had been left off and Harris couldn’t serve either.

Oxford is one of two openly gay lawmakers in the House. She has served on committees concerning children and families since entering the legislature in 2005, and has years of professional and volunteer experience in children’s and poverty issues. If appointed, she would have been the committee’s ranking Democrat.

“I don’t know what the reason is,” Oxford said in an interview. “Whatever it is, what bothers me is that I’m so eminently qualified to be on this committee and I’m being barred from it for some reason.”

Concerns over whether Oxford’s sexual orientation derailed her appointment arose Jan. 15 when Richard’s chief of staff delivered the committee assignments to staffers for House Minority Leader Paul LeVota.

According to Democratic staffers who were present, the chief of staff — Jeff Brooks — said Oxford was removed because members of the Republican caucus found her “highly offensive.” Brooks reportedly did not elaborate on what that meant.

In an interview, however, Brooks insisted he never called Oxford offensive, and Richard said he didn’t believe his top staffer would speak that way of a lawmaker.

“He’s never said anything like that,” Richard said. “He isn’t that kind of person.”

Following the assignment announcement, Oxford sent two letters to Richard. The first, dated Jan. 21, described her “20+ years” experience in dealing with children’s and family issues.

In the second letter, a week later, Oxford raised the concern over whether her sexual orientation influenced the decision.

The next day, Oxford said, Richard told her personal issues did not factor into his decision, but did not give a clear answer as to why she was left off. Later that day, she learned the decision would not be reversed.

This week, Richard reiterated that he judges committee assignments on the merits of the lawmaker.

“I don’t care what your sexual orientation is. I don’t care what your color is. I don’t care if you’re old or young. It just doesn’t make a difference to me,” Richard said. “If they’re elected and represent a district, that’s what I respect.”

But LeVota, the minority leader from Independence, said Oxford’s rejection was perplexing because Richard accepted the vast majority of his appointments.

“The speaker has given me no explanation on why he didn’t take the recommendation,” LeVota said. “I just don’t understand why he made that decision.”