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Tag: sexual harassment

  • Epstein emails reveal enduring ties with influential figures even after his sex crime conviction

    By the time Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl, he had established an enormous network of wealthy and influential friends. Emails made public this week show the crime did little to diminish the desire of that network to stay connected to the billionaire financier.Thousands of documents released by the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday offer a new glimpse into what Epstein’s relationships with business executives, reporters, academics and political players looked like over a decade.Video above: Lawmakers react to newly released Epstein emails, Trump connectionThey start with messages he sent and received around the time he finished serving his Florida sentence in 2009 and continue until the months before his arrest on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019.During that time, Epstein’s network was eclectic, spanning the globe and political affiliations: from the liberal academic Noam Chomsky to Steve Bannon, the longtime ally of President Donald Trump.Some reached out to support Epstein amid lawsuits and prosecutions, others sought introductions or advice on everything from dating to oil prices. One consulted him on how to respond to accusations of sexual harassment.Epstein was charged with sex trafficking in 2019, and killed himself in jail a month later. Epstein’s crimes, high-profile connections and jailhouse suicide have made the case a magnet for conspiracy theorists and online sleuths seeking proof of a cover-up. The emails do not implicate his contacts in those alleged crimes. They instead paint a picture of Epstein’s influence and connections over the years he was a registered sex offender.Epstein emailed current and former political figures on all sides, sending news clips and discussing strategy or gossip often in short, choppy emails laden with spelling and grammatical errors.In several emails in 2018, Epstein advised Bannon on his political tour of Europe that year after Bannon forwarded Epstein a news clip that the German media underestimated Bannon and that he was “As Dangerous as Ever.”Video below: Epstein emails fallout”luv it,” Epstein responded. Epstein wrote that he’d just spoken to “one of the country leaders that we discussed” and that “we should lay out a strategy plan. . how much fun.” Several months later, Epstein sent some advice: “If you are going to play here , you’ll have to spend time, europe by remote doesn’t work.””its doable but time consuming,” Epstein continued in a follow-up email, “there are many leaders of countries we can organize for you to have one on ones.” Just a few months earlier, Epstein was insulting Trump — whose movement Bannon was a representative of — in emails to Kathryn Ruemmler, the former White House counsel under President Barack Obama. Ruemmler sent a message to Epstein calling Trump “so gross.” A portion of that message was redacted, but Epstein replied, “worse in real life and upclose.”In other emails with Ruemmler, Epstein detailed a whirlwind of well known people he appears to have been meeting, hosting or speaking with that week, including an ambassador, tech giant, foreign business people, academics and a film director.”you are a welcome guest at any,” he wrote.Jennifer Zuccarelli, a spokesperson for Goldman Sachs, where Ruemmler now works, declined to comment.The financier emailed often with people in the upper echelons of wealth around the world, brokering introductions and chatting about politics and foreign affairs.That included Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel, who Epstein sent an email to in 2014 saying “that was fun, see you in 3 weeks.”Four years later, Epstein asked if Thiel was enjoying Los Angeles, and, after Thiel said he couldn’t complain, replied “Dec visit me Caribbean.” It’s unclear if Thiel ever responded. In emails with Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, an Emirati businessman, Epstein complimented Bannon, saying in 2018 that “We have become friends you will like him.””Trump doesn’t like him,” responded Sulayem.A year earlier, Sulayem asked Epstein about an event where it appeared Trump would be in attendance, asking, “Do you think it will be possible to shake hand with trump.””Call to discuss,” Epstein wrote back. In January 2010, biotech venture capitalist Boris Nikolic was attending the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and Epstein emailed to ask, “any fun?” Nikolic replied that he had met “your friend” Bill Clinton, as well as then-French President Nicholas Sarkozy and “your other friend,” Prince Andrew, “as he has some questions re microsoft.”But then Nikolic said he was getting sick of meetings. Later, he wrote Epstein that “it would be blast that you are here.” He mentioned flirting with a 22-year-old woman.”It turns out she is with her husand. Did not have chance to check him out. But as we concluded, anything good is rented ;)” Nikolic wrote.The theoretical physicist and cosmologist Laurence Krauss was among them. In 2017, Krauss reached out to Epstein via email for advice on responding to a reporter writing a story about allegations of sexual harassment against him.”Is this a reasonable response? Should i even respond? Could use advice,” Krauss asked Epstein.In an explicit exchange, Epstein asked Krauss if he’d had sex with the person in question and then suggested he should not reply to the journalist. “No. We didn’t have sex. Decided it wasn’t a good idea,” replied Krauss, who has previously denied all allegations of sexual harassment and assault.In an August 2015 email exchange, Epstein told Chomsky, the famed linguist and social scientist, to only fly to Greece if he feels well, joking he previously had to send a plane for another “lefty friend” to see a doctor in New York.In the same exchange, which dipped into academic arguments about warning signs on currency collapses, behavioral science models, and Big Data, Epstein offered his residences for Chomsky’s use.”you are of course welcome to use apt in new york with your new leisure time, or visit new Mexico again,” Epstein wrote. The emails also show that Epstein kept up a friendly relationship with Larry Summers, who was the treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton and former Harvard University president, and bantered about the 2016 presidential race and Trump.Other emails showed a closer relationship. In 2019, Summers was discussing interactions he had with a woman, writing to Epstein that “I said what are you up to. She said ‘I’m busy’. I said awfully coy u are.” Epstein replied, “you reacted well.. annoyed shows caring. , no whining showed strentgh.” Summers issued a statement saying he has “great regrets in my life.” “As I have said before, my association with Jeffrey Epstein was a major error of judgement,” the statement said.Chomsky, Thiel, Bannon, Krauss and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem did not immediately respond to requests for comment, which were sent through email addresses available on their own or their organization’s websites.Associated Press reporters John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, and Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

    By the time Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl, he had established an enormous network of wealthy and influential friends. Emails made public this week show the crime did little to diminish the desire of that network to stay connected to the billionaire financier.

    Thousands of documents released by the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday offer a new glimpse into what Epstein’s relationships with business executives, reporters, academics and political players looked like over a decade.

    Video above: Lawmakers react to newly released Epstein emails, Trump connection

    They start with messages he sent and received around the time he finished serving his Florida sentence in 2009 and continue until the months before his arrest on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019.

    During that time, Epstein’s network was eclectic, spanning the globe and political affiliations: from the liberal academic Noam Chomsky to Steve Bannon, the longtime ally of President Donald Trump.

    Some reached out to support Epstein amid lawsuits and prosecutions, others sought introductions or advice on everything from dating to oil prices. One consulted him on how to respond to accusations of sexual harassment.

    Epstein was charged with sex trafficking in 2019, and killed himself in jail a month later. Epstein’s crimes, high-profile connections and jailhouse suicide have made the case a magnet for conspiracy theorists and online sleuths seeking proof of a cover-up.

    The emails do not implicate his contacts in those alleged crimes. They instead paint a picture of Epstein’s influence and connections over the years he was a registered sex offender.

    Epstein emailed current and former political figures on all sides, sending news clips and discussing strategy or gossip often in short, choppy emails laden with spelling and grammatical errors.

    In several emails in 2018, Epstein advised Bannon on his political tour of Europe that year after Bannon forwarded Epstein a news clip that the German media underestimated Bannon and that he was “As Dangerous as Ever.”

    Video below: Epstein emails fallout

    “luv it,” Epstein responded.

    Epstein wrote that he’d just spoken to “one of the country leaders that we discussed” and that “we should lay out a strategy plan. . how much fun.”

    Several months later, Epstein sent some advice: “If you are going to play here , you’ll have to spend time, europe by remote doesn’t work.”

    “its doable but time consuming,” Epstein continued in a follow-up email, “there are many leaders of countries we can organize for you to have one on ones.”

    Just a few months earlier, Epstein was insulting Trump — whose movement Bannon was a representative of — in emails to Kathryn Ruemmler, the former White House counsel under President Barack Obama.

    Ruemmler sent a message to Epstein calling Trump “so gross.” A portion of that message was redacted, but Epstein replied, “worse in real life and upclose.”

    In other emails with Ruemmler, Epstein detailed a whirlwind of well known people he appears to have been meeting, hosting or speaking with that week, including an ambassador, tech giant, foreign business people, academics and a film director.

    “you are a welcome guest at any,” he wrote.

    Jennifer Zuccarelli, a spokesperson for Goldman Sachs, where Ruemmler now works, declined to comment.

    The financier emailed often with people in the upper echelons of wealth around the world, brokering introductions and chatting about politics and foreign affairs.

    That included Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel, who Epstein sent an email to in 2014 saying “that was fun, see you in 3 weeks.”

    Four years later, Epstein asked if Thiel was enjoying Los Angeles, and, after Thiel said he couldn’t complain, replied “Dec visit me Caribbean.” It’s unclear if Thiel ever responded.

    In emails with Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, an Emirati businessman, Epstein complimented Bannon, saying in 2018 that “We have become friends you will like him.”

    “Trump doesn’t like him,” responded Sulayem.

    A year earlier, Sulayem asked Epstein about an event where it appeared Trump would be in attendance, asking, “Do you think it will be possible to shake hand with trump.”

    “Call to discuss,” Epstein wrote back.

    In January 2010, biotech venture capitalist Boris Nikolic was attending the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and Epstein emailed to ask, “any fun?”

    Nikolic replied that he had met “your friend” Bill Clinton, as well as then-French President Nicholas Sarkozy and “your other friend,” Prince Andrew, “as he has some questions re microsoft.”

    But then Nikolic said he was getting sick of meetings. Later, he wrote Epstein that “it would be blast that you are here.” He mentioned flirting with a 22-year-old woman.

    “It turns out she is with her husand. Did not have chance to check him out. But as we concluded, anything good is rented ;)” Nikolic wrote.

    The theoretical physicist and cosmologist Laurence Krauss was among them. In 2017, Krauss reached out to Epstein via email for advice on responding to a reporter writing a story about allegations of sexual harassment against him.

    “Is this a reasonable response? Should i even respond? Could use advice,” Krauss asked Epstein.

    In an explicit exchange, Epstein asked Krauss if he’d had sex with the person in question and then suggested he should not reply to the journalist.

    “No. We didn’t have sex. Decided it wasn’t a good idea,” replied Krauss, who has previously denied all allegations of sexual harassment and assault.

    In an August 2015 email exchange, Epstein told Chomsky, the famed linguist and social scientist, to only fly to Greece if he feels well, joking he previously had to send a plane for another “lefty friend” to see a doctor in New York.

    In the same exchange, which dipped into academic arguments about warning signs on currency collapses, behavioral science models, and Big Data, Epstein offered his residences for Chomsky’s use.

    “you are of course welcome to use apt in new york with your new leisure time, or visit new Mexico again,” Epstein wrote.

    The emails also show that Epstein kept up a friendly relationship with Larry Summers, who was the treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton and former Harvard University president, and bantered about the 2016 presidential race and Trump.

    Other emails showed a closer relationship. In 2019, Summers was discussing interactions he had with a woman, writing to Epstein that “I said what are you up to. She said ‘I’m busy’. I said awfully coy u are.”

    Epstein replied, “you reacted well.. annoyed shows caring. , no whining showed strentgh.”

    Summers issued a statement saying he has “great regrets in my life.”

    “As I have said before, my association with Jeffrey Epstein was a major error of judgement,” the statement said.

    Chomsky, Thiel, Bannon, Krauss and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem did not immediately respond to requests for comment, which were sent through email addresses available on their own or their organization’s websites.

    Associated Press reporters John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, and Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

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  • Mexico’s President Sheinbaum presses charges after groping attack on street

    Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has called for sexual harassment to be made a crime nationwide after being groped on the street while greeting supporters near the presidential palace in Mexico City.

    Sheinbaum, 63, said on Wednesday that she had pressed charges against the man and would review nationwide legislation on sexual harassment following the attack by a drunk man who put his arm around her shoulder, and with the other hand touched her hip and chest, while attempting to kiss her neck.

    Mexico’s first woman president removed the man’s hands before a member of her staff stepped between them. The president’s security detail did not appear to be nearby at the moment of the attack, which was caught on camera.

    The man was later arrested.

    “My thinking is: If I don’t file a complaint, what becomes of other Mexican women? If this happens to the president, what will happen to all the women in our country?” Sheinbaum told her regular morning news conference on Wednesday.

    In a post on social media, the president said the attack was “something that many women experience in the country and in the world”.

    Translation: I filed a complaint for the harassment episode that I experienced yesterday in Mexico City. It must be clear that, beyond being president, this is something that many women experience in the country and in the world; no one can violate our body and personal space. We will review the legislation so that this crime is punishable in all 32 states.

    Sheinbaum explained that the incident occurred when she and her team had decided to walk from the National Palace to the Education Ministry to save time. She said they could walk the route in five minutes, rather than taking a 20-minute car ride.

    She also called on states across Mexico to look at their laws and procedures to make it easier for women to report such assaults and said Mexicans needed to hear a “loud and clear, no, women’s personal space must not be violated”.

    Mexico’s 32 states and Mexico City, which is a federal entity, all have their own criminal codes, and not all states consider sexual harassment a crime.

    “It should be a criminal offence, and we are going to launch a campaign,” Sheinbaum said, adding that she had suffered similar attacks in her youth.

    The incident has put the focus on Mexico’s troubling record on women’s safety, with sexual harassment commonplace and rights groups warning of a femicide crisis, and the United Nations reporting that an average of 10 women are murdered every day in the country.

    About 70 percent of Mexican women aged 15 and over will also experience at least one incident of sexual harassment in their lives, according to the UN.

    The attack also focused criticism on Sheinbaum’s security detail and on her insistence on maintaining a degree of intimacy with the public, despite Mexican politicians regularly being a target of cartel violence.

    But Sheinbaum dismissed any suggestion that she would increase her security or change how she interacts with people following the incident.

    At nationwide rallies in September to mark her first year in power, the president allowed supporters to embrace her and take selfies.

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  • Horizon Sexual-Harassment Lawsuit Moves Forward

    Photo: Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

    Kevin Costner denied claims of sexual harassment on the set of Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2 found in a lawsuit filed in May 27 by stunt performer Devyn LaBella against Costner. Now, several months later, Los Angeles judge Jon Takasugi denied Costner’s bid to have the case thrown out under California’s anti-SLAPP law on October 16. Only one of LaBella’s ten claims was removed, one that was related to the Bane Act; in the original filing, LaBella claimed that Costner “demanded” she was in the scene. “Plaintiff does not identify anything Costner, or any other individual, said to her that would constitute ‘threats, intimidation, or coercion’ of the kind contemplated by the Bane Act,” the judge explained in the published filing.

    Originally, in a declaration filed on August 19 in the Los Angeles Superior Court, Costner called the allegations “absolutely false” in response to LaBella’s claims that Costner directed an improvised rape scene without an intimacy coordinator or proper protocols. “Devyn’s description of this shot as a ‘violent simulated rape’ is absurd and sensationalistic. It is more than false. It is a bold-faced lie intended to create wide, publicly viewed shock value and damage the movies and me personally,” Costner says in the declaration. “Devyn’s claims against me are absolutely false, and it is deeply disappointing to me that a woman who worked on our production would claim that I or any other member of my production team would make one of our own feel uncomfortable, let alone suffer the ‘nightmare’ she has invented. My belief is that Devyn’s claims were designed, through the use of false statements and sensationalistic language, to damage my reputation.”

    Horizon intimacy coordinator Celeste Chaney has supported LaBella’s claims that the scene “was unexpectedly sprung on the actors and stunt professionals” in an amended complaint on June 18. Per Chaney, Ella Hunt was called in to film a more graphic scene than planned but Hunt did not want to participate without an intimacy coordinator. “Due to a lack of communication and the lack of an intimacy coordinator on set (a contractual obligation),” Chaney wrote, “Ella Hunt was not prepared to give this performance. Visibly upset, she left set. It was at this time that Devyn Labella, Juliette’s stunt double, who was also not briefed or prepared for the scene, was asked to stand in to ‘line up the shot.’”

    Alejandra Gularte

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  • Loudoun Co. students’ suspension on hold while legal action over locker room incident proceeds – WTOP News

    A Loudoun County student’s suspension is on hold while litigation over whether the punishment was warranted moves forward, a federal judge ruled Friday.

    A Loudoun County student’s suspension is on hold while litigation over whether the punishment was warranted moves forward, a federal judge ruled Friday.

    The ruling comes after two students’ families filed a lawsuit against the Northern Virginia school district, alleging the kids were wrongfully punished for speaking out about an incident in a school locker room. During the encounter, they said a transgender student identifying as male recorded them in a locker room at Stone Bridge High School.

    The students had been suspended for 10 days for harassment. And in a new court filing this week, the school system described incidents in which the two students harassed the other student before the incident in the locker room.

    The Washington Post was first to report on the filing.

    “These boys never directly spoke with the complainant, and so our boys were merely complaining that there was a biological girl in their locker room,” said Victoria Cobb, president of the Founding Freedoms Law Center. “The school has decided to make them political pawns in a battle over ideology.”

    In court documents, the school system said witnesses describe threatening incidents or behavior in gym class and school hallways.

    In an 11-second video, a speaker is heard saying “girl boy” several times. The student who filed the complaint said the two boys said to “get out” of the locker room and was referred to as “it” during P.E. class.

    According to the court files, investigators spoke to Loudoun County Public School staff members and a variety of student witnesses.

    The locker room incident prompted some community members to speak out, and resulted in a federal Department of Education investigation. The agency found Loudoun County violated Title IX and retaliated against the boys, who expressed concern about being recorded by a transgender boy in the boys’ locker room.

    The incident has also been referenced as the Education Department found bathroom policies at five Northern Virginia school districts violate Title IX. The agency said policies that allow students to use facilities based on their gender identity rather than biological sex violate the law. The families’ lawsuit seeks to end that school system policy in Loudoun County.

    A recording of the locker room incident, documents said, reveals a series of comments the two boys made, including things such as “there’s a girl,” “why is there a girl?”

    Reviewers described in documents as “independent decision makers” ruled that the two boys had sexually harassed the student.

    “Our clients never spoke to the female student,” Cobb, the boys’ attorney, said. “They only expressed confusion and discomfort about having a girl in the boys locker room.”

    After Friday’s ruling, Cobb said one of the two students can remain in school while the case progresses. The other moved away from the area, but Cobb said it’s “about their student record more than a suspension.”

    In a statement on Friday, a spokesman for Loudoun County schools said the division acknowledges “the court’s decision today and will prepare for the next steps in this matter. We remain committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environment for all students.”

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Scott Gelman

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  • The Onion Wants an Oscar for ‘Jeffrey Epstein: Bad Pedophile’—Coming to a Theater Near You

    This, Collins believes, is not only a testament to The Onion’s quality, but a referendum on Trump himself. “People do not like what’s going on, and people vote with their dollars,” he says. “It’s not purely capitalistic. We are making art for the sake of art, absolutely, but there is sort of a protest-vote element in showing up to this thing.”

    Even beyond Kimmel, comedy has become increasingly politicized in Trump’s second term. In recent days, the internet erupted after comedy A-listers like Dave Chappelle, Pete Davidson, and Whitney Cummings agreed to headline the Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia. “I’m going to say something really brave: I think Jeffrey Epstein is bad, and I also think 9/11 was bad,” says Collins, alluding to the Saudi government’s alleged ties to the terror attacks. “I think both those things were bad, and I wouldn’t hang out with either of those people—the 9/11 people or the Jeffrey Epstein. Somebody’s going to make a statue of me with that as the placard: ‘I think 9/11 was bad, and I think Jeffrey Epstein was bad.’”

    On a more serious note, Collins thinks the Riyadh lineup reflects something dire about both American politics and the bifurcated woke-versus-anti-woke comedy scene. Collins says there’s “a lot of money” behind enticing anti-woke comics to shill for the political project on the right. “I also like money, but I think getting hundreds of thousands of dollars to tell jokes for 10 minutes about ‘airline food is bad’ is actually illustrative of a much larger thing: The stuff that’s getting greenlit is not necessarily popular with the populace. It’s popular with rich people who are sick of being yelled at in the media. They are using some of these people as vehicles for whatever the comedy equivalent of greenwashing is.”

    There’s a parallel to be drawn between the Riyadh Comedy Festival and Jeffrey Epstein: Bad Pedophile—the ultra-wealthy getting whatever they want. “George Carlin said it best: ‘It’s a big club and you ain’t in it,’” quotes Collins. “That is just the truth. Now more than ever, the club has stopped pretending they’re a club; it’s a bunch of rich guys who want to maintain this. I would ask people gently to not fall for it.”

    And he’s doing so by asking people to watch Jeffrey Epstein: Bad Pedophile. What’s more, Collins says he’s submitting Jeffrey Epstein: Bad Pedophile to the best-live-action-short category at the Oscars this year. And while Collins admits that this is a shot in the dark, he has already come up with a pretty compelling Oscar campaign. “The Academy: Do you like pedophiles? I don’t think you do.” He smiles. “You know what you could do to prove it?”

    Jeffrey Epstein: Bad Pedophile premieres in select theaters on October 2nd.

    Chris Murphy

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  • Denver Public Schools defies Trump administration deadline for removing all-gender bathrooms

    Denver Public Schools has not complied with the Trump administration’s request that the district convert all multi-stall, all-gender bathrooms in its schools into separate facilities for female and male students by the agency’s Monday deadline.

    In a five-page response dated Sunday, DPS general counsel Kristin Bailey accused the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights of “intransigence,” a failure to adequately communicate and a “startling” lack of clarity surrounding the alleged Title IX violation levied against the school district.

    “We write to rebut the stated presumption that the District and the Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) are at an impasse,” Bailey wrote. “We are not. In fact, as the District has shared throughout this Directed Investigation, we want to discuss resolution options with OCR, and at this stage, the District remains interested in doing so.”

    Education Department representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Denver Post on Monday.

    On Aug. 28, the Education Department announced that it had found DPS discriminated against girls by creating a gender-neutral bathroom at East High School and by adopting a districtwide policy allowing students to use facilities corresponding with their gender identities.

    DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero issued a statement the following day, vowing to protect Denver students and families from an administration hostile to the LGBTQ community.

    The department’s Office of Civil Rights said DPS’s all-gender restrooms violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, enacted to allow girls and women to participate in educational activities in school, including sports, without sexual harassment.

    The office gave the district 10 days to agree to a proposed resolution — which included converting all-gender restrooms back to single-sex facilities — or “risk imminent enforcement action.”

    The findings come after the Education Department announced in January that it was investigating DPS over the East High’s conversion of a girls restroom into a bathroom for all genders last academic year.

    The Denver high school created the gender-neutral bathroom at the request of students who wanted another facility, choosing to convert a girls bathroom because it was more cost-effective, district officials said.

    The all-gender bathroom has stalls that offer more privacy than other facilities, with 12-foot walls that nearly reach the ceiling and metal blocks that prevent people from seeing through.

    In response to the January investigation, East High recently renovated a boys bathroom into a second all-gender restroom — a move the district said it made to address any disparity. The district has two other all-gender facilities, at the Denver School of the Arts and the Career Education Center Early College.

    In the federal agency’s letter alleging DPS violated Title IX, the Education Department also said the Denver district created “a hostile environment for its students by endangering their safety, privacy and dignity” through its use of all-gender restrooms.

    The Trump administration has repeatedly threatened to cut K-12 and higher education funding from schools with policies that the federal government calls discriminatory, particularly those that relate to gender identity, the LGBTQ community and race.

    Elizabeth Hernandez

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  • Fired staffer files lawsuit accusing California Assembly speaker of retaliation

    A fired former staffer for California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas claimed in a lawsuit that the top lawmaker and his brother Rick retaliated against her for filing complaints of sexual harassment and unethical conduct.

    Former communications aide Cynthia Moreno alleged in the lawsuit that her superiors failed to act on her reports of a colleague sexually harassing her. She claimed the situation escalated after she filed followup complaints alleging that Rick exerted undisclosed influence over pending legislation, culminating in Rick denying her a raise and then firing her.

    Moreno lost her job last month after the Legislature’s workplace misconduct unit said she had made inappropriate comments to colleagues. Her lawsuit was filed in Sacramento Superior Court Tuesday evening, according to Moreno’s attorney, Ognian Gavrilov.

    A representative for Rivas, Elizabeth Ashford, said in a statement that the Democratic speaker recused himself from Moreno’s firing and that Rick Rivas “had no role in Ms. Moreno’s employment, ever.”

    “The vast conspiracy theories included in this filing are absolutely false,” Ashford said. “Ms. Moreno’s long history of lawsuits speaks for itself, and any court will see this for what it is: an attempt by a former employee to force a payout. We will fight these false and defamatory claims aggressively, and we are confident they will be seen for what they are: absolutely meritless.”

    Rick Rivas did not respond to a texted request for comment. The speaker’s brother is his most trusted political adviser and a longtime Sacramento player who oversees government affairs for the American Beverage Association. Questions about Rick’s involvement in his brother’s decision-makinghave trailed Rivas since he ascended to the speakership.

    Gavrilov, Moreno’s attorney, said the Rivas brothers “have such hubris … they feel as though they’re untouchable.”

    “They let her go in such a humiliating public fashion and they think they can get away with it,” Gavrilov said, accusing the brothers of hypocrisy “considering what they’re doing.” He said Moreno had no additional comment on her lawsuit.

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  • Hotel CEO accused of sexually assaulting manager at Justin Timberlake concert in Detroit

    Steve Neavling

    Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

    A former hotel manager has filed a federal lawsuit accusing Amerilodge Group CEO Asad Malik of sexually harassing and assaulting her during a company outing to a Justin Timberlake concert in Detroit earlier this year, and then retaliating against her when she reported the incident.

    Stephanie Starling, who managed the Courtyard Marriott in Bay City, alleges Malik groped her and tried to force a kiss during the Feb. 20 concert at Little Caesars Arena.

    While in the arena’s concession area, Malik told Starling that he wanted to kiss her and that he “bet it would be a good kiss too,” according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

    “Probably later tonight,” he added, saying he was “just looking at her lips” and thinking about the kiss, the lawsuit alleges.

    Starling says Malik slid into a booth beside her and put his hands under her thigh and onto her butt.

    Starling “was noticeably trembling in fear and her hand was shaking as she tried to eat,” the lawsuit states.

    Starling fled to the bathroom with a coworker and avoided Malik during most of the concert. Afterward, she says Malik drove her to a dark area near a hotel and told her, “Time for that kiss,” according to the lawsuit. When she refused, Malik allegedly grew agitated and asked, “What do you mean you CAN’T?”

    She threatened to walk back to the hotel in the snow if he didn’t return her, and Malik eventually relented, according to the lawsuit. Starling’s boyfriend drove from Bay City to pick her up.

    Starling “cried the entire ride home and was unable to work the next day,” the lawsuit states.

    Amerilodge Group is based in Bloomfield Hills and manages, operates, and owns hotels in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio under the brands Hilton, Marriott, and InterContinental Hotel Group.

    The lawsuit was filed by Jack W. Schulz of Schulz Ghannam PLLC.

    Starling reported Malik’s behavior to Amerilodge’s human resources director two days later. She was told the incident would be investigated confidentially by a neutral third party. Instead, the lawsuit alleges, the lawsuit was conducted by Amerilodge’s own defense attorneys and amounted to “a complete sham.”

    The complaint says coworkers openly discussed her allegations despite assurances of confidentiality at work. On March 12, Starling’s company email was cut off after she told a supervisor she was overwhelmed by stress from the incident but had no plans to resign.

    The following day, Amerilodge sent her an email saying it was “upholding [her] resignation.”

    But, according to the lawsuit, “Starling never resigned.”

    Instead, “she was terminated,” the complaint states.

    On April 1, she was told investigators could not substantiate her claims and was offered money to waive her rights against Malik and Amerilodge, which she rejected. The law firm that carried out the investigation later represented Amerilodge in her Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filing, the lawsuit states.

    Starling alleges sexual harassment, assault, battery, retaliation, and intentional infliction of emotional stress. She also contends other women had made similar allegations against Malik but were “silenced” by the company.

    Schulz wrote in the complaint that Amerilodge “made a conscious effort to silence these women in an effort to protect a predator rather than to assure this horrendous conduct ends.”

    Metro Times left a message for Amerilodge Group and is awaiting a response.

    Steve Neavling

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  • Karim Khan, ICC prosecutor seeking war crimes charges against Israel’s Netanyahu, accused of sexual misconduct

    Karim Khan, ICC prosecutor seeking war crimes charges against Israel’s Netanyahu, accused of sexual misconduct

    The Hague, Netherlands — As the International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor sought war crimes charges this year against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over actions in Gaza, he was engulfed in a very different personal crisis playing out behind the scenes. Karim Khan faced accusations that he tried for more than a year to coerce a female aide into a sexual relationship and groped her against her will. He’s categorically denied the allegations, saying there was “no truth to suggestions of misconduct.” Court officials have said they may have been made as part of an Israeli intelligence smear campaign.

    Two co-workers in whom the woman confided at the ICC’s headquarters at The Hague reported the alleged misconduct in early May to the court’s independent watchdog, which says it interviewed the woman and ended its inquiry after five days when she opted against filing a formal complaint. Khan himself was never questioned.

    But the matter may not be over.

    The Fourth Summit Of First Ladies And Gentlemen In Kyiv
    Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan is seen at a summit in Kyiv, Ukraine, on the subject of children’s safety, Sept. 12, 2024.

    Viktor Kovalchuk/Global Images/Ukraine/Getty


    While the woman declined to comment to The Associated Press, people close to her say her initial reluctance was driven by distrust of the in-house watchdog and she has asked the body of member-states that oversees the ICC to launch an external probe. An ICC official with knowledge of the matter who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity confirmed that the request remains under consideration.

    Those efforts were applauded by those close to the woman, who still works at the court.

    “This wasn’t a one-time advance or an arm around the shoulder that could be subject to misinterpretation,” one of the people told AP, speaking on condition of anonymity to shield the woman’s identity. “It was a full-on, repeated pattern of conduct that was carried out over a long period of time.”

    While the court’s watchdog could not determine wrongdoing, it nonetheless urged Khan in a memo to minimize contact with the woman to protect the rights of all involved and safeguard the court’s integrity.

    Within days of the watchdog’s shelving of the case, the court’s work went on. Khan on May 20 sought arrest warrants against Netanyahu, his defense minister and three Hamas leaders on war crimes charges. A three-judge panel is now weighing that request.

    U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration said it was blindsided by the move, with the president calling the prosecution “outrageous” for implying an equivalence between Israel and Hamas.


    Biden rebukes ICC request for Netanyahu arrest warrant

    02:33

    In announcing the charges, Khan hinted that outside forces were waging a campaign to derail his investigation.

    “I insist that all attempts to impede, intimidate or improperly influence the officials of this court must cease immediately,” Khan said, adding he wouldn’t hesitate to use his authority to investigate anyone suspected of obstructing justice.

    AP pieced together details of the accusations through whistleblower documents shared with the court’s independent watchdog and interviews with eight ICC officials and individuals close to the woman. All spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the allegations or fear of retaliation.

    Among the allegations told to AP is that Khan noticed the woman working at another department at ICC and moved her into his office, a transfer that included a pay bump. Their time together allegedly increased after a private dinner in London where Khan took the woman’s hand and complained about his marriage. She became a presence on official trips and meetings with dignitaries.

    During one such trip, Khan allegedly asked the woman to rest with him on a hotel bed and then “sexually touched her,” according to the documents. Later, he came to her room at 3 a.m. and knocked on the door for 10 minutes.

    Other allegedly nonconsensual behavior cited in the documents included locking the door of his office and sticking his hand in her pocket. He also allegedly asked her on several occasions to go on a vacation together.

    Upon returning to ICC’s headquarters after one trip, she tearfully complained to two co-workers about Khan’s behavior and the anguish she felt for not standing up to a boss she once admired.

    Those co-workers were shocked because Khan always seemed to show exemplary behavior around women and has been outspoken against gender-based crimes. They also weighed the accusations against the backdrop of well-publicized attempts by intelligence agents from Israel and elsewhere to penetrate the court, which created a work environment plagued by intrigue and mistrust.

    But in the wake of the #MeToo movement, no powerful man is above scrutiny, and the co-workers complied with court workplace guidelines that encouraged the reporting of misconduct by senior officials.

    After months of inaction and whispered rumors of a brewing scandal, an anonymous account on X called ICC_Leaks last week began bringing some of the allegations to light.

    Israel’s allies in the U.S. Congress have also seized on the would-be scandal. Sen. Lindsey Graham is seeking records about whether the misconduct accusations played any role in Khan’s decision in May to cancel an aide’s planned visit to Israel and move ahead with the war crimes charges.

    “Another cloud – a moral one – hangs over prosecutor Khan’s abrupt decision to abandon engagement with Israel and seek arrest warrants,” the South Carolina Republican wrote in a letter to the court’s oversight authority.

    Khan, who is 54 and married with two children, said in a statement there was “no truth” to the accusations, and that in 30 years of scandal-free investigative work he always has stood with victims of sexual harassment and abuse.

    Khan added that he would be willing, if asked, to cooperate with any inquiry, saying it is essential that any accusations “are thoroughly listened to, examined and subjected to a proper process.”

    Without naming any entity directly, he noted that both he and the court have been the target in recent months of “a wide range of attacks and threats,” some also aimed at his wife and family. Khan’s office declined to provide specifics because the incidents are under investigation.

    Under Khan, the ICC has become more assertive in combating crimes against humanity, war crimes and related atrocities. Along the way, it has added to a growing list of enemies.

    Last September, following the opening of a probe into Russian atrocities in Ukraine, the court suffered a debilitating cyberattack that left staff unable to work for weeks. It also hired an intern who was later criminally charged in the U.S. with being a Russian spy.


    U.S. announces war crime charges against 4 Russian soldiers for actions in Ukraine

    14:38

    Israel has also been waging its own influence campaign ever since the ICC recognized Palestine as a member and in 2015 opened a preliminary investigation into what the court referred to as “the situation in the State of Palestine.”

    London’s The Guardian newspaper and several Israeli news outlets reported this summer that Israel’s intelligence agencies for the past decade have allegedly targeted senior ICC staff, including putting Khan’s predecessor under surveillance and showing up at her house with envelopes stuffed with cash to discredit her.

    Netanyahu himself, in the days leading up to Khan’s announcement of war crimes charges, called on the world’s democracies “to use all the means at their disposal” to block the court from what he called an “outrage of historic proportions.”

    The Israeli foreign ministry referred AP’s inquiries about the case to the Prime Minister’s office, which did not respond. The U.S. State Department declined to discuss the matter but said in a statement that it “takes any allegation of sexual harassment seriously, and we would expect the court to do the same.”

    The Dutch foreign ministry and several lawmakers in the Netherlands have called for an investigation into whether the Israeli embassy has been conducting covert activities against the ICC.

    Khan, a British international lawyer, had a long history defending some of the world’s most ruthless strongmen — including former Liberian President Charles Taylor and the son of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi — before being elected in 2021 in a secret ballot to become chief prosecutor.

    The Rome Statute that established the court took effect in 2002, with a mandate to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide — but only when domestic courts fail to initiate their own investigations. Neither the U.S., Israel nor Russia are among the 124 member nations recognizing the court’s authority, although their citizens can be charged with crimes committed in countries that are ICC members.

    Khan has assessed that the ICC does have jurisdiction to prosecute individuals over actions committed in the Palestinian territories, and to prosecute Palestinians in Israel, however, because the U.N. recognizes the State of Palestine as a signatory to the Rome Statute.

    Washington welcomed Khan’s election, especially after he moved to “deprioritize” an investigation opened by his predecessor into abuses by U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan.

    Khan also broadened the court’s focus, bringing criminal charges for the first time against individuals outside Africa. He charged Russian President Vladimir Putin for kidnapping children in Ukraine and opened an investigation into Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for his crackdown on protesters.

    “He is by far the most professional jurist the court has had in its short history,” said Kenneth Roth, founder and former executive director of Human Rights Watch. “He’s articulate, sophisticated with the media and has extensive courtroom experience working with the highest standards of evidence.”

    But Khan’s reputation with the U.S. came crashing down when he announced he was seeking the arrest of Netanyahu and Israel’s defense minister for war crimes including starvation of civilians.

    To insulate himself from attacks that he held an anti-Israel bias, Khan, a practicing Muslim whose father migrated to the U.K. from Pakistan, shared the evidence with a panel of experts including British human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, wife of actor George Clooney.

    Although the 900-employee ICC has long had a “zero-tolerance” policy on sexual harassment, an outside review of the court’s inner-workings in 2020 found an unacceptable level of predatory behavior by male bosses, a lack of women in senior positions, and inadequate mechanisms for dealing with complaints and protecting whistleblowers.

    “There is a general reluctance, if not extreme fear, among many staff to report any alleged act of misconduct or misbehavior” by a senior official, the review concluded. “The perception is that they are all immune.”

    Although the ICC’s policies have been updated since the report, there’s no explicit ban on romantic relationships like there is in many American workplaces. And while elected officials such as Khan are expected to show “high moral character,” there’s no definition of “serious misconduct” that would warrant removal.

    “International organizations like the ICC are some of the last places where men in positions of power treat the organization like their playgrounds,” said Sarah Martin, a gender equality expert who has consulted for several United Nations agencies. “There are so many complaints that don’t even get investigated because there’s a perception that senior officials protect each other.”

    People close to Khan’s accuser say investigators from the court’s watchdog – known as the Independent Oversight Mechanism – showed up for an interview at her home on a Sunday and asked for intimate details about her relationship with Khan as her child listened. Without any emotional support and wary of the process, she decided not to file a complaint at that moment.

    In the weeks since, she’s decided to go up the chain of command, reaching out to the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, which oversees the court and has the ultimate say about Khan’s future.

    Paivi Kaukoranta, a Finnish diplomat currently serving as president of that body, did not comment specifically when asked if it had initiated a new investigation. But in a statement she asked people to respect the integrity and confidentiality of the process, “including any further possible steps as necessary.”

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  • Former CEO is finally facing the music for alleged sex trafficking and prostitution ring during his time at Abercrombie

    Former CEO is finally facing the music for alleged sex trafficking and prostitution ring during his time at Abercrombie

    Millennials: You’ll remember walking into Abercrombie & Fitch in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. Loud, thumping music, perfume so strong you could barely think straight, and posters of half-naked men were all part of the experience—and a desire to feel “cool.”

    David Turner/WWD/Penske Media—Getty Images

    Mike Jeffries, Abercrombie’s former CEO, was behind that vision. And on Tuesday, he and his partner Matthew Smith were arrested in Florida in connection with sex trafficking-related charges, according to a federal indictment. The duo, along with an employee of theirs, James Jacobson, allegedly ran an international sex trafficking and prostitution ring from 2008 to 2015 that allegedly involved paying for secret sex with potentially dozens of men, including 15 unnamed victims.

    The official indictment has been a long time coming. Last year, BBC released a documentary about Jeffries’ shady practices. The BBC investigation revealed that Jeffries and Smith allegedly used a middleman to find men to attend and participate in the sex events. Jeffries and Smith would allegedly engage in sexual activity with about four men at these events or “direct” them to have sex with one another, several attendees from the events told BBC. Jeffries’ personal staff dressed in Abercrombie uniforms and supervised the activity, according to the allegations, and staff members gave attendees envelopes filled with thousands of dollars in cash at the end of the events. 

    Large Abercrombie & Fitch sign featuring a man's unclothed torso

    LAURENT FIEVET/AFP/GettyImages

    The middleman “made it clear that unless I let him perform oral sex on me, I would not be meeting with Abercrombie & Fitch or Mike Jeffries,” David Bradberry, who was introduced to Jacobson in 2010 when he was 23 years old, told BBC. An agent posing as a model recruiter introduced Bradberry to Jacobson, who described himself as the gatekeeper to the “owners” of Abercrombie and Fitch, according to the BBC investigation.

    The federal indictment included related allegations and more.

    Jeffries’ shady past with Abercrombie

    According to a 2006 interview with Salon, Jeffries wanted to make the 130-year-old retailer into the hearthrob teen clothing brand of the time, which he successfully did—but not without offending swaths of people. His interview pretty much sums up his marketing approach as only making it about “cool” people. 

    “Those companies that are in trouble are trying to target everybody: young, old, fat, skinny. But then you become totally vanilla,” Jeffries told Salon. “You don’t alienate anybody, but you don’t excite anybody, either.”

    Brooks Canaday/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images

    By 2006, Abercrombie & Fitch’s earnings had risen for 52 straight quarters, with annual profits of more than $2 billion. Plus, the company had opened hundreds of new brick-and-mortar stores and launched three new labels, including Hollister. 

    “But the marketing approach that made A&F into a financial success also made it an HR and PR nightmare,” according to NPR. Abercrombie’s approach to marketing ignited a response from women through mock ads and a boycott call from the American Decency Association. Black, Latino, and Asian American employees in 2004 filed a class-action lawsuit against the company alleging minority applicants were discouraged from applying.

    In the early 2010s, Abercrombie started going south financially as a result of age discrimination and hiring practice lawsuits, and Jeffries’ 2006 interview with Salon started being circulated again and went viral. In 2013, Jeffries was named as the worst CEO of the year by TheStreet’s Herb Greenberg. To boot, CNBC’s Jim Cramer named him to his “Wall of Shame.”

    “Since its early trading in 1996, Abercrombie has barely beaten the S&P 500. It has dramatically trailed the index over the past one-, three- and five-year marks,” Greenberg wrote in 2013. “The past year, in particular, has been an abomination, leading activist firm Engaged Capital to demand his ouster.”

    By 2014, same-store sales slumped for 11 straight quarters and two of its subsidiary brands, Ruehl No.925 and Gilly Hicks, shut down just a few years after launch. Teens were just also over Abercrombie’s style at that point, and the shopping mall era was coming to a close. And in 2016, Abercrombie was deemed the most-hated retailer by the American Customer Satisfaction Index for its hypersexualized marketing and controversies. 

    Abercrombie’s second wind

    But as Abercrombie has distanced itself from Jeffries, the brand is making a major comeback after posting its best first-quarter earnings in company history this year. Abercrombie reported $1 billion in net sales, a 22% increase from 2023. Last year, its annual revenues were $5 billion.

    Shoppers inside Abercrombie & Fitch store in 2023

    YUKI IWAMURA/AFP—Getty Images

    This was an epic comeback for the brand. CEO Fran Horowitz took the helm in 2017, revamping stores and inventories as well as expanding sizes and introducing clothing for a variety of lifestyles. 

    “We moved from a place of fitting in to creating a place of belonging,” Horowitz said in a 2022 speech at the Fordham University Gabelli School of Business’ fifth annual American Innovation Conference.

    Sydney Lake

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  • Addressing Workplace Harassment: Insights From Juliene Hefter’s Seminar in Liberty Hill, Texas

    Addressing Workplace Harassment: Insights From Juliene Hefter’s Seminar in Liberty Hill, Texas


    LIBERTY HILL, Texas, July 12, 2024 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Juliene Hefter, Executive Director/CEO of the Association of Aquatic Professionals, delivered a compelling speech at the “Workplace Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Seminar 2024” held in Liberty Hill, Texas. The seminar, focused on workplace safety and sexual harassment, aimed to equip attendees with actionable strategies to foster respectful environments within their organizations.

    During her speech, Hefter highlighted the prevalence of sexual harassment and the critical need for proactive measures in addressing and preventing such misconduct. Drawing from her extensive experience and personal encounters, she underscored the importance of setting boundaries, effective communication, and bystander intervention in combating harassment.

    “Sexual harassment is a widespread issue that impacts both genders in various contexts,” remarked Hefter. “We must create environments where individuals feel safe and respected.”

    Sharing personal anecdotes from her career, Hefter emphasized the significance of allies and supportive workplace cultures. “Creating a culture of respect starts with each of us,” she stated. “Supporting colleagues and speaking out against inappropriate behavior are fundamental in cultivating a safe workplace.”

    The seminar also addressed practical strategies for organizations to implement, including clear anti-harassment policies, regular training sessions, and establishing robust reporting mechanisms. Hefter stressed the role of leadership in setting the tone for respectful behavior and ensuring that victims receive adequate support and protection.

    “In organizations, leadership commitment is key to fostering a harassment-free workplace,” noted Hefter. “By implementing comprehensive policies and providing necessary resources, we can create environments where everyone can thrive.”

    In conclusion, Juliene Hefter’s seminar in Liberty Hill underscored the importance of collective action in combating workplace harassment. By promoting awareness, encouraging dialogue, and implementing effective strategies, organizations can create environments where mutual respect and professionalism prevail.

    “As individuals and organizations, we have a responsibility to cultivate cultures of respect,” affirmed Hefter. “Let us continue to advocate for safe workplaces and support those affected by harassment.” 

    For more information on Juliene Hefter’s initiatives and upcoming events, please visit the Association of Aquatic Professionals website.

    Source: Association of Aquatic Professionals

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  • Cleveland Heights School District Failed to Address Student Sexual Harassment and Assault Incidents, Lawsuit Claims

    Cleveland Heights School District Failed to Address Student Sexual Harassment and Assault Incidents, Lawsuit Claims

    click to enlarge

    Cleveland Heights-University Heights

    Roxboro Middle School, shown here in an undated photo, was a site of one of several Title IX cases included in a lawsuit against the district on Wednesday.

    Superintendents, principals and student coordinators at the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District failed to handle multiple instances of sexual harassment and assaults going back at least 14 years, a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday afternoon alleges.

    The complaint, filed in the Northern District of Ohio Court by parents of students and former students who are now adults, accuses the district and employees of Fairfax Elementary, Roxboro Middle School and Cleveland Heights High of ignoring clear violations of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a federal statute that protects students from any major discrimination on the basis of sex or gender.

    CHUH and the nine other defendants listed “failed to take prompt and effective steps to end the harassment and assaults,” the complaint reads, “once notice of the misconduct had become sufficiently severe.”

    The allegations, compiled over the past year by attorneys Eric Long, Karen Truszkowski and Antoinette Frazho in the 36-page suit, cover a wide range of sexual misbehavior by male teenagers that were, lawyers say, mismanaged by a string of teachers and principals.

    At least five former female students, titled as Jane Does 1 through 5 due to them being minors at the time, are involved. In one incident, a Heights High freshman was raped by a member of the varsity soccer team, and was later denied a transfer to a separate building after admins chose not to punish the assailant, the lawsuit alleges. In another, a mother named “E.K.” was unable to pull her daughter out of a kindergarten class at Fairfax Elementary after a boy placed “his hand up her shirt and down her pants.”

    And in one of the extreme cases, an 11-year-old girl was allegedly assaulted by an eighth grader in a production closet behind the Roxboro Elementary Auditorium. She was, the complaint claims, later coerced by a Roxboro counselor into admitting the closet sex was “consensual.”

    “At the time, Jane Doe 1 was 11 years old, and did not know what ‘consensual’ meant,” the lawsuit reads, “nor did she have the legal ability to ‘consent’ to sexual contact.” Though the boy had charges brought against him eventually, the girl was initially suspended for “engaging in sexual conduct while on school property.”

    In an interview Wednesday, Long told Scene that he and the plaintiffs had waited so long to file—about a year—due to the nature of formulating a sound Title IX case, along with the obvious sensitivities that go into matters of sexual assault.

    “I think part of that answer is that it takes time to realize that you’re not the only one. Right?” he said. “When we’re talking about systemic problems and actively trying to avoid doing what needs to be done under the law, it takes time for this stuff to come forward.”

    Long said that he and his team had attempted to mediate a settlement outside of court with CHUH’s legal team but those talks had failed. He declined to reveal the dollar amount the litigants were seeking.

    The suit filed brings ten counts of charges against the district, from three involving the Title IX sex discriminatio, to those of negligent hiring, retention and supervision of school staff. But the bulk of the claims, Long said, are straight-forward: CHUH failed to protect at least five female students from assault “because of their gender.”

    Which, to Long, is a relatively unique case in Northeast Ohio courts.

    “I’m not aware of kind of a multi plaintiff case that kind of fits the same pattern where over a course of a decade plus, the school has continuously failed to take the steps they need to take under Title IX,” he said. “So I think this is somewhat unique in that way. But I would venture to guess this will not be the last case like that.”

    In a statement to Scene, Elizabeth Kirby, CHUH’s superintendent, backed up the school system’s ability to both handle Title IX issues and prevent them.

    CHUH, after all, she said, has a “full-time Title IX Coordinator” to provide “education sessions” to students; teachers and staff regularly attend Title IX seminars; and, following a particular case in 2022, the school beefed up its support staff to combat sexual harassment.

    “We take all allegations of this nature seriously, including the District’s obligations to report and investigate,” Kirby wrote in a statement. “We are aware that a number of parents are dissatisfied with the District’s Title IX response. We respect their right to voice their opinion.”

    CHUH and their legal team have 60 days to respond to the complaint.

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    Mark Oprea

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  • $700K investigation into former Bowser aide ‘worth every penny,’ says DC council member – WTOP News

    $700K investigation into former Bowser aide ‘worth every penny,’ says DC council member – WTOP News

    An expensive third party investigation into sexual harassment allegations against D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s former chief of staff John Falcicchio “was worth every penny,” according to D.C. Council member Brianne Nadeau.

    WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 14: John Falcicchio, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development speaks on stage
    during Presentation of Yeleen Beauty Announcement as U.S., African Companies Announce New Commitments in US-Africa Business Forum Deal Room at Walter E. Washington Convention Center on December 14, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Prosper Africa)(Getty Images for Prosper Africa/Tasos Katopodis)

    An expensive third-party investigation into sexual harassment allegations against D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s former chief of staff John Falcicchio “was worth every penny,” according to D.C. Council member Brianne Nadeau, one of the lawmakers who pushed for the investigation.

    “This report lays out recommendations from an independent investigator on how the mayor’s investigation into Falcicchio’s actions could have been handled differently and better,” Nadeau said.

    It also makes recommendations as to what the D.C. government can do to prevent sexual harassment in the future, according to Nadeau.

    In a statement Friday, Nadeau said the investigation had been completed and that she was determining which parts of it could potentially be released to the public.

    That process is ongoing, Nadeau confirmed Monday.

    “I’m working right now with our general counsel to determine which things in the report need to be redacted for the privacy of the complainants,” Nadeau said. “Once we’ve gotten through that process, we should be able to release that to the public.”

    The D.C. Office of the Inspector General hired a law firm to carry out the investigation, which cost taxpayers nearly $750,000.

    “I believe this was worth every penny so that we can ensure the public understands what process really occurred and what we need to do better with their tax dollars in protecting the employees of the District of Columbia,” Nadeau said.

    Prior to this, the only investigation that had taken place was done by the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel.

    Nadeau and others had called for a third party to look into the allegations, claiming that having the mayor’s own attorneys investigate the matter could be considered a conflict of interest.

    Bowser said Monday she had seen the report, but was told by the inspector general’s office not to comment publicly.

    “The inspector general asked for confidentiality so I’m respectful of that,” Bowser said. “I think the IG and the council should decide how we’re going to proceed.”

    Two city employees had accused Falcicchio of sexual misconduct.

    Last week, the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel confirmed it had reached a settlement with the two women, but that it could not disclose terms due to “confidentiality provisions.”

    Attorneys representing the women released a statement saying they also could not discuss details involving the settlement.

    According to The Washington Post, the settlement with one of the women involved a cash payment ranging from $300,000 to $500,000.

    In addition to being the mayor’s chief of staff, Falcicchio had also been serving as the city’s deputy mayor for planning and economic development.

    Falcicchio resigned from his roles with the city last year when the allegations first came to light.

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    Nick Iannelli

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  • Harvey Weinstein appears in N.Y. court; Why prosecutors say they want a September retrial

    Harvey Weinstein appears in N.Y. court; Why prosecutors say they want a September retrial

    N.Y. prosecutors want new Harvey Weinstein trial in September


    N.Y. prosecutors want new Harvey Weinstein trial in September

    02:29

    NEW YORK – The Manhattan DA’s office wants a new trial for Harvey Weinstein in September. 

    The trial is expected to begin sometime after Labor Day. 

    The move comes after Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction was overturned by an appeals court last week.

    In February, his attorneys argued to the New York Court of Appeals that he did not get a fair trial. In a 4-3 decision last week, the court overturned Weinstein’s 23-year sentence saying “the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts.”

    In a dissent, one judge wrote the decision was “endangering decades of progress in this incredibly complex and nuanced area of law” regarding sex crimes.

    Weinstein remains behind bars because he was convicted of rape in Los Angeles in 2022, and sentenced to 16 years. He’s currently at Bellevue for Medical Care. 

    His attorneys say they plan to appeal the California case. 

    Seeking a retrial 

    Six women testified in Weinstein’s trail, even though he was facing charges related to three. 

    He was found guilty four years ago of forcibly performing a sex act on one woman and rape in the third degree for an attack on another woman. He was acquitted on charges of predatory sex assault and first degree rape. 

    The ruling shocked and disappointed women who celebrated historic gains during the era of #MeToo, a movement that ushered in a wave of sexual misconduct claims in Hollywood and beyond.  

    Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg was not the district attorney during Weinstein’s previous trial. He says he’ll retry the case. 

    “Having conversations with survivors, centering their well-being, and pursuing justice,” Bragg said Wednesday. 

    Weinstein and accuser appear in court 

    Weinstein, 72, was noticeably thinner and paler when he appeared in court Wednesday in a wheelchair. He smiled and greeted everyone he knew in the first row behind the defense table when he entered the courtroom. He did not speak in court. 

    Jessica Mann, one of the women who testified, was also there. Prosecutors told the judge she was present to show she was not backing down, and that Weinstein “may have power and privilege, but she has the truth.” 

    Attorney Gloria Allred represents Mimi Haley, who was not present at Wednesday’s appearance. Allred says Haley’s not decided whether she’ll testify again. 

    “The vacating of the conviction was re-traumatizing to her, and that it will be even more traumatic to testify once again,” Allred said. 

    Weinstein attorney Arthur Aidala spoke about his client’s life behind bars. 

    “Harvey Weinstein was used to drinking champagne and eating caviar and now he’s at the commissary paying for potato chips and M&Ms,” Aidala said. “Mentally, he’s fine. He’s sharp as a tack. But physically, he’s been breaking down for years.”

    “Obviously there’s a new sense of energy about him,” Aidala added. 

    Alice Gainer


    alice-gainer.png

    Alice Gainer joined CBS2 as a reporter and anchor in January 2013. She covers breaking, feature and general assignment stories.

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  • Penn State Scandal Fast Facts | CNN

    Penn State Scandal Fast Facts | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    Here’s a look at the Penn State sexual abuse scandal. On November 4, 2011, a grand jury report was released containing testimony that former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky sexually abused eight young boys over a period of at least 15 years. Officials at Penn State purportedly failed to notify law enforcement after learning about some of these incidents. On December 7, 2011, the number of victims increased to 10. Sandusky was found guilty in 2012.

    Included is a timeline of accusations, lists of the charges against Sandusky, a list of involved parties, a post grand jury report timeline, information about The Second Mile charity and Sandusky with links to the grand jury investigation.

    Jerry Sandusky

    Birth date: January 26, 1944

    Birth place: Washington, Pennsylvania

    Birth name: Gerald Arthur Sandusky

    Marriage: Dorothy “Dottie” (Gross) Sandusky (1966-present)

    Children: (all adopted) E.J., Kara, Jon, Jeff, Ray and Matt. The Sanduskys also fostered several children.

    Occupation: Assistant football coach at Penn State for 32 years before his retirement, including 23 years as defensive coordinator.

    Initially founded by Sandusky in 1977 as a group foster home for troubled boys, but grew into a non-profit organization that “helps young people to achieve their potential as individuals and community members.”

    May 25, 2012 – The Second Mile requests court approval in Centre County, Pennsylvania, to transfer its programs to Arrow Child & Family Ministries and shut down.

    August 27, 2012 – The Second Mile requests a stay in their petition to transfer its programs to Arrow Child & Family Ministries saying, “this action will allow any pending or future claims filed by Sandusky’s victims to be resolved before key programs or assets are considered for transfer.”

    March 2016 – After years of dismantling and distributing assets to Arrow Child & Family Ministries and any remaining funds to the Pennsylvania Attorney General to hold in escrow, the organization is dissolved.

    Source: Grand Jury Report

    1994-1997 – Sandusky engages in inappropriate conduct with different boys he met separately through The Second Mile program.

    1998 – Penn State police and the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare investigate an incident in which the mother of an 11-year-old boy reported that Sandusky showered with her son.

    1998 – Psychologist Alycia Chambers tells Penn State police that Sandusky acted the way a pedophile might in her assessment of a case in which the mother of a young boy reported that Sandusky showered with her son and may have had inappropriate contact with him. A second psychologist, John Seasock, reported he found no indication of child abuse.

    June 1, 1998 – In an interview, Sandusky admits to showering naked with the boy, saying it was wrong and promising not to do it again. The district attorney advises investigators that no charges will be filed, and the university police chief instructs that the case be closed.

    June 1999 – Sandusky retires from Penn State after coaching there for 32 years, but receives emeritus status, with full access to the campus and football facilities.

    2000 – James Calhoun, a janitor at Penn State, tells his supervisor and another janitor that he saw Sandusky sexually abusing a young boy in the Lasch Building showers. No one reports the incident to university officials or law enforcement.

    March 2, 2002 – Graduate Assistant Mike McQueary tells Coach Joe Paterno that on March 1, he witnessed Sandusky sexually abusing a 10-year-old boy in the Lasch Building showers. On May 7, 2012, prosecutors file court documents to change the date of the assault to on or around February 9, 2001.

    March 3, 2002 – Paterno reports the incident to Athletic Director Tim Curley. Later, McQueary meets with Curley and Senior Vice President for Finance and Business Gary Schultz. McQueary testifies that he told Curley and Schultz that he saw Sandusky and the boy engage in anal sex; Curley and Schultz testify they were not told of any such allegation. No law enforcement investigation is launched.

    2005 or 2006 – Sandusky befriends another Second Mile participant whose allegations would form the foundation of the multi-year grand jury investigation.

    2006 or 2007 – Sandusky begins to spend more time with the boy, taking him to sporting events and giving him gifts. During this period, Sandusky performs oral sex on the boy more than 20 times and the boy performs oral sex on him once.

    2008 – The boy breaks off contact with Sandusky. Later, his mother calls the boy’s high school to report her son had been sexually assaulted and the principal bans Sandusky from campus and reports the incident to police. The ensuing investigation reveals 118 calls from Sandusky’s home and cell phone numbers to the boy’s home.

    November 2008 – Sandusky informs The Second Mile that he is under investigation. He is removed from all program activities involving children, according to the group.

    November 4, 2011 – The grand jury report is released.

    November 5, 2011 – Sandusky is arraigned on 40 criminal counts. He is released on $100,000 bail. Curley and Schultz are each charged with one count of felony perjury and one count of failure to report abuse allegations.

    November 7, 2011 – Curley and Schultz are both arraigned and resign from their positions.

    November 9, 2011 – Paterno announces that he intends to retire at the end of the 2011 football season. Hours later, university trustees announce that President Graham Spanier and Coach Paterno are fired, effective immediately.

    November 11, 2011 – McQueary, now a Penn State receivers’ coach, is placed on indefinite administrative leave.

    November 14, 2011 – In a phone interview with NBC’s Bob Costas, Sandusky states that he is “innocent” of the charges and claims that the only thing he did wrong was “showering with those kids.”

    November 15, 2011 – The Morning Call reports that in a November 8, 2011, email to a former classmate, McQueary says he did stop the 2002 assault he witnessed and talked with police about it.

    November 16, 2011 – Representatives of Penn State’s campus police and State College police say they have no record of having received any report from McQueary about his having witnessed the rape of a boy by Sandusky.

    November 16, 2011 – A new judge is assigned to the Sandusky case after it is discovered that Leslie Dutchcot, the judge who freed Sandusky on $100,000 bail, volunteered at The Second Mile charity.

    November 21, 2011 – It is announced that former FBI Director Louis Freeh will lead an independent inquiry for Penn State into the school’s response to allegations of child sex abuse.

    November 22, 2011 – The Patriot-News reports that Children and Youth Services in Pennsylvania has two open cases of child sex abuse against Sandusky. The cases were reported less than two months ago and are in the initial stages of investigation.

    November 22, 2011 – The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts announces that all Centre County Common Pleas Court judges have recused themselves from the Sandusky case. This is to avoid any conflicts of interest due to connections with Sandusky, The Second Mile charity, or Penn State.

    November 30, 2011 – The first lawsuit is filed on behalf of a person listed in the complaint as “John Doe,” who says he was 10 years-old when he met Sandusky through The Second Mile charity. His attorneys say Sandusky sexually abused the victim “over one hundred times” and threatened to harm the victim and his family if he alerted anyone to the abuse.

    December 2, 2011 – A victim’s attorneys say they have reached a settlement with The Second Mile that allows it to stay in operation but requires it to obtain court approval before transferring assets or closing.

    December 3, 2011 – In an interview with The New York Times, Sandusky says, “If I say, ‘No, I’m not attracted to young boys,’ that’s not the truth. Because I’m attracted to young people – boys, girls – I …” His lawyer speaks up at that point to note that Sandusky is not “sexually” attracted to them.

    December 7, 2011 – Sandusky is arrested on additional child rape charges, which raises the number of victims from eight to 10 people. He is charged with four counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and two counts of unlawful contact with a minor. He also faces one new count of indecent assault and two counts of endangering a child’s welfare, in addition to a single new count of indecent assault and two counts of corruption of minors.

    December 8, 2011 – Sandusky is released on $250,000 bail. He is placed under house arrest and is required to wear an electronic monitoring device. He is also restricted from contacting the victims and possible witnesses, and he must be supervised during any interactions with minors.

    December 13, 2011 – Sandusky enters a plea of not guilty and waives his right to a preliminary hearing.

    December 16, 2011 – A hearing is held for Curley and Schultz. McQueary testifies he told university officials that he saw Sandusky possibly sexually assaulting a boy in 2002. Following the testimony, the judge rules that the perjury case against Curley and Schultz will go to trial. The incident is later said to have happened in 2001.

    January 13, 2012 – Curley and Schultz enter pleas of not guilty for their failure to report child sex abuse.

    January 22, 2012 – Paterno dies at the age of 85.

    February 14, 2012 – Penn State says that the Sandusky case has cost the university $3.2 million thus far in combined legal, consultant and public relations fees.

    June 11, 2012 – The Sandusky trial begins. On June 22, Sandusky is found guilty on 45 counts after jurors deliberate for almost 21 hours. His bail is immediately revoked, and he is taken to jail.

    June 30, 2012 – McQueary’s contract as assistant football coach ends.

    July 12, 2012 – Freeh announces the findings of the investigation into Penn State’s actions concerning Sandusky. The report accuses the former leaders at Penn State of showing “total and consistent disregard” for child sex abuse victims, while covering up the attacks of a longtime sexual predator.

    July 23, 2012 – The NCAA announces a $60 million fine against Penn State and bans the team from the postseason for four years. Additionally, the school must vacate all wins from 1998-2011 and will lose 20 football scholarships a year for four seasons.
    – The Big Ten Conference rules that Penn State’s share of bowl revenues for the next four seasons – roughly $13 million will be donated to charities working to prevent child abuse.

    August 24, 2012 – “Victim 1” files a lawsuit against Penn State.

    September 20, 2012 – Penn State hires Feinberg Rozen LLP (headed by Kenneth Feinberg who oversaw the 9/11 and BP oil spill victim funds).

    October 2, 2012 – McQueary files a whistleblower lawsuit against Penn State.

    October 8, 2012 – An audio statement from Sandusky airs in which he protests his innocence and says he is falsely accused.

    October 9, 2012 – Sandusky is sentenced to no less than 30 years and no more than 60 years in prison. During the hearing, Sandusky is designated a violent sexual offender.

    October 15, 2012 – Plaintiff “John Doe,” a 21-year-old male, files a lawsuit against Sandusky, Penn State, The Second Mile, Spanier, Curley and Schultz. Doe alleges that he would not have been assaulted by Sandusky if officials, who were aware he was molesting boys, had not covered up his misconduct.

    November 1, 2012 – The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania files eight charges against former Penn State President Spanier. The charges include perjury and endangering the welfare of a child. Former university Vice President Schultz and former Athletic Director Curley face the same charges, according to Attorney General Linda Kelly.

    November 15, 2012 – The Middle States Commission on Higher Education lifts its warning and reaffirms Penn State’s accreditation.

    January 30, 2013 – Judge John M. Cleland denies Sandusky’s appeal for a new trial.

    July 30, 2013 – A judge rules that Spanier, Curley and Schultz will face trial on obstruction of justice and other charges.

    August 26, 2013 – Attorneys announce Sandusky’s adopted son and six other victims have finalized settlement agreements.

    October 2, 2013 – The Superior Court of Pennsylvania denies Sandusky’s appeal.

    October 28, 2013 – Penn State announces it has reached settlements with 26 victims of Sandusky. The amount paid by the university totals $59.7 million.

    April 2, 2014 – The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania also denies Sandusky’s appeal.

    September 8, 2014 – NCAA ends Penn State’s postseason ban and scholarship limits. The $60 million fine and the 13 years of vacated wins for Paterno remain in place.

    January 16, 2015 – The NCAA agrees to restore 111 of Paterno’s wins as part of a settlement of the lawsuit brought by State Senator Jake Corman and Treasurer Rob McCord. Also, as part of the settlement, Penn State agrees to commit $60 million to the prevention and treatment of child sexual abuse.

    December 23, 2015 – A spokeswoman for the State of Pennsylvania employee retirement system says Sandusky will receive $211,000 in back payments and his regular pension payments will resume. This is the result of a November 13 court ruling that reversed a 2012 decision to terminate Sandusky’s pension under a state law that allows the termination of pensions of public employees convicted of a “disqualifying crime.” The judge said in his ruling that Sandusky was not employed at the time of the crimes he was convicted of committing.

    January 22, 2016 – A three-judge panel reverses the obstruction of justice and conspiracy charges against Spanier, Curley and Schultz, and the perjury charges against Spanier and Curley.

    May 4, 2016 – A new allegation purports Paterno knew that his assistant coach Sandusky was sexually abusing a child as early as 1976, according to a new court filing. The ongoing lawsuit, filed in 2013, seeks to determine whether Penn State or its insurance policy is liable for paying Sandusky’s victims. At least 30 men were involved in a civil settlement with Penn State, and the number of victims could be higher.

    May 6, 2016 – CNN reports the story of another alleged victim who explains how he was a troubled young kid in 1971 when Sandusky raped him in a Penn State bathroom. He says his complaint about it was ignored by Paterno.

    July 12, 2016 – Newly unsealed court documents allege that Paterno knew about Sandusky’s abuse and that he dismissed a victim’s complaint.

    August 12, 2016 – In a bid for a new trial, Sandusky testifies at a post-conviction hearing claiming his lawyers bungled his 2012 trial. On the stand, Sandusky describes what he said as bad media and legal advice given to him by his former lawyer, Joseph Amendola.

    November 3, 2016 – The Department of Education fines Penn State $2.4 million for violating the Clery Act, a law that requires universities to report crime on campuses. It’s the largest fine in the history of the act.

    March 13, 2017 – Curley and Schultz plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of children in exchange for the dismissal of felony charges.

    March 24, 2017 – Spanier is found guilty on one misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of a child. Spanier was acquitted of more serious allegations, including conspiracy charges and a felony count of child endangerment.

    June 2, 2017 – Spanier and two other former administrators are sentenced to jail terms for failing to report a 2001 allegation that Sandusky was molesting young boys. Spanier whose total sentence is four to 12 months incarceration, will be on probation for two years and must pay a $7,500 fine, according to Joe Grace, a spokesman for Pennsylvania’s attorney general’s office.

    – Curley is sentenced to seven to 23 months’ incarceration and two years’ probation, Grace said. He will serve three months in jail followed by house arrest and pay a $5,000 fine.

    – Schultz is sentenced to six to 23 months’ incarceration and two years’ probation. He will serve two months in jail, followed by house arrest and pay a $5,000 fine, according to Grace.

    January 9, 2018 – Penn State reports that the total amount of settlement awards paid to Sandusky’s victims is now over $109 million.

    February 5, 2019 – In response to an appeal for a new trial that also questions the validity of mandatory minimum sentencing, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania orders Sandusky to be re-sentenced. The request for a new trial is denied.

    April 30, 2019 – US Magistrate Judge Karoline Mehalchick vacates Spanier’s 2017 conviction for endangering the welfare of a child. Spanier was set to be sentenced on the one count conviction, instead, the court ordered the conviction be vacated because it was based on a criminal statute that did not go into effect until after the conduct in question. The state has 90 days to retry him, according to court documents. The following month, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro appeals the judge’s decision to throw out the conviction.

    November 22, 2019 – Sandusky is resentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison, the same penalty that was previously overturned. The initial sentence of at least 30 years in prison was overturned by the Pennsylvania Superior Court, which found that mandatory minimum sentences were illegally imposed.

    March 26, 2020 – The US Office for Civil Rights finds that Penn State failed to protect students who filed sexual harassment complaints. OCR completed the compliance review after it was initially launched in 2014, and found that the University violated Title IX for several years, in various ways. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announces that the US Department of Education and the university have entered into a resolution agreement that compels Penn State to address deficiencies in their complaint process, reporting policy requirements, record keeping, and training of staff, university police and other persons who work with students.

    December 1, 2020 – Spanier’s conviction is restored by a federal appeals court.

    May 26, 2021 – A judge rules that Spanier will start his two month prison sentence on July 9. Spanier reports to jail early and is released on August 4 after serving 58 days.

    Sandusky Verdict

    Victim 1
    Count 1 – guilty: Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse (Felony 1)
    Count 2 – guilty: Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse (Felony 1)
    Count 3 – guilty: Indecent Assault (Felony 3)
    Count 4 – guilty: Unlawful Contact with Minors (Felony 1)
    Count 5 – guilty: Corruption of Minors (Misdemeanor 1)
    Count 6 – guilty: Endangering Welfare of Children (Felony 3)

    Victim 2
    Count 7 – not guilty: Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse (Felony 1)
    Count 8 – guilty: Indecent Assault (Misdemeanor 2)
    Count 9 – guilty: Unlawful Contact with Minors (Felony 1)
    Count 10 – guilty: Corruption of Minors (Misdemeanor 1)
    Count 11 – guilty: Endangering Welfare of Children (Misdemeanor 1)

    Victim 3
    Count 12 – guilty: Indecent Assault (Misdemeanor 2)
    Count 13 – guilty: Unlawful Contact with Minors (Felony 3)
    Count 14 – guilty: Corruption of Minors (Misdemeanor 1)
    Count 15 – guilty: Endangering Welfare of Children (Felony 3)

    Victim 4
    Count 16 – ****DROPPED****: Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse (Felony 1)
    Count 17 – guilty: Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse (Felony 1)
    Count 18 – ****DROPPED*****: Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse (Felony 1)
    Count 19 – ****DROPPED*****: Aggravated Indecent Assault (Felony 2)
    Count 20 – guilty: Indecent Assault (Misdemeanor 2)
    Count 21 – guilty: Unlawful Contact with Minors (Felony 1)
    Count 22 – guilty: Corruption of Minors (Misdemeanor 1)
    Count 23 – guilty” Endangering Welfare of Children (Felony 3)

    Victim 5
    Count 24 – not guilty: Indecent Assault (Misdemeanor 1)
    Count 25 – guilty: Unlawful Contact with Minors (Felony 3)
    Count 26 – guilty: Corruption of Minors (Misdemeanor 1)
    Count 27 – guilty: Endangering Welfare of Children (Felony 3)

    Victim 6
    Count 28 – not guilty: Indecent Assault (Misdemeanor 1)
    Count 29 – guilty: Unlawful Contact with Minors (Felony 3)
    Count 30 – guilty: Corruption of Minors (Misdemeanor 1)
    Count 31 – guilty: Endangering Welfare of Children (Misdemeanor 1)

    Victim 7
    Count 32 – guilty: Criminal Attempt to Commit Indecent Assault (Misdemeanor 2)
    Count 33 – ****DROPPED****: WITHDRAWN BY PROSECUTORS (unlawful contact with minors)
    Count 34 – guilty: Corruption of Minors (Misdemeanor 1)
    Count 35 – guilty: Endangering Welfare of Children (Misdemeanor 1)

    Victim 8
    Count 36 – guilty: Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse (Felony 1)
    Count 37 – guilty: Indecent Assault (Misdemeanor 2)
    Count 38 – guilty: Unlawful Contact with Minors (Felony 1)
    Count 39 – guilty: Corruption of Minors (Misdemeanor 1)
    Count 40 – guilty: Endangering Welfare of Children (Misdemeanor 1)

    (Due to 2nd indictment, counts start over with Victims 9 and 10)

    Victim 9
    Count 1 – guilty: Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse (Felony 1)
    Count 2 – guilty: Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse (Felony 1)
    Count 3 – guilty: Indecent Assault (Felony 3)
    Count 4 – guilty: Unlawful Contact with Minors (Felony 1)
    Count 5 – guilty: Corruption of Minors (Misdemeanor 1)
    Count 6 – guilty: Endangering Welfare of Children (Felony 3)

    Victim 10
    Count 7 – guilty: Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse (Felony 1)
    Count 8 – guilty: Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse (Felony 1)
    Count 9 – guilty: Indecent Assault (Misdemeanor 1)
    Count 10 – guilty: Unlawful Contact with Minors (Felony 1)
    Count 11 – guilty: Corruption of Minors (Misdemeanor 1)
    Count 12 – guilty: Endangering Welfare of Children (Felony 3)

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  • Fired executive to sue Alexandria-based United Way, claims retaliation after reporting sexual harassment – WTOP News

    Fired executive to sue Alexandria-based United Way, claims retaliation after reporting sexual harassment – WTOP News

    A former chief marketing officer at Alexandria, Virginia-based United Way Worldwide plans to file a $12 million lawsuit against the charity on Wednesday. The woman says she was retaliated against, and eventually fired, after reporting sexual harassment to management within the organization.

    A former chief marketing officer at Alexandria, Virginia-based United Way Worldwide plans to file a $12 million lawsuit against the charity on Wednesday.

    Lisa Bowman says she was retaliated against, and eventually fired, after reporting sexual harassment to management within the organization, which calls itself “America’s favorite charity.”

    WTOP has learned from sources familiar with the impending suit that attorneys for Bowman will claim, in the Circuit Court of Alexandria, that Bowman was harassed, subjected to a hostile work environment because of her gender, and later retaliated against for complaining about the unlawful conduct, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

    From November 2015 to February 2020, Bowman was employed by United Way as executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer, reporting directly to the charity’s president and chief executive officer, Brian Gallagher.

    In late 2020, approximately three years after the #MeToo movement gained prominence, Bowman and two other female executives told their stories to HuffPo — previously the Huffington Post — saying leadership ignored their reports of harassment, and that each filed a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency that investigates civil rights claims in workplaces.

    In the soon-to-be-filed suit in the Circuit Court of Alexandria, Bowman’s attorneys Maureen Carr and Allison Riddle are expected to detail Bowman’s interactions with a male colleague, who she told human resources repeatedly leered at her and made inappropriate comments about her appearance.

    Bowman said her interactions with the male colleague began in October 2017, when Gallagher asked her to interview the man for a new role.

    Bowman has said when the colleague arrived, he stood very close to her, within what she considered her personal space. She recalls the man told her she was intimidating.

    When the man told Bowman they would no doubt tangle, Bowman said if they had a disagreement, it would be solved professionally behind closed doors. The male colleague said he would enjoy that scenario.

    The suit is expected to include that Bowman voiced her concerns about the interviewee’s behavior and commentary to Gallagher, but her boss soon hired the man for the new role anyway.

    Bowman said she attempted to speak privately with the man about improving their working relationship, after repeated comments about her appearance and an invitation to stay with the man at an Airbnb during a business trip.

    She’s expected to say he had a pattern of pacing back and forth outside her office, several times a day, even though they worked on different floors and her office wasn’t near an office the male colleague would have reason to visit. Bowman said her employees took notice of his presence.

    By February 2019, Bowman said the male colleague had, on several occasions, blatantly scanned her body up and down several times, while making comments about her clothes and body. Over time, she began taking precautions to not be alone with the male colleague.

    When Bowman spoke to Gallagher about the male colleague’s behavior, she said she was told she needed to learn to get along with him. Bowman claims she told Gallagher the issue wasn’t about getting along, but was instead about unacceptable behavior that put United Way Worldwide at risk.

    In October 2019, Bowman said she made her final attempt to resolve work issues with the male colleague privately, but he became passive-aggressive and bullied Bowman by yelling at her, dismissing her concerns, and insulting her.

    After reporting the unsettling interactions to at least three female members of management, Bowman says human resources took no meaningful action, and her previous standing and responsibilities with the charity started to wither.

    Employees who had been assigned to her team were moved to the male colleague’s team. At approximately the same time, as Bowman was being pushed aside, her alleged harasser was promoted.

    During a meeting on Jan. 9, 2020, Gallagher told Bowman, “I don’t need you,” and said a newly hired executive would be the charity’s top marketing person.

    While human resources agreed that Bowman’s last day with the charity would be Feb. 21, 2020, she was abruptly fired on Feb. 6.

    Bowman is expected to state she’s been unable to find comparable employment and has suffered significant financial losses.

    In addition, she’ll claim that because of United Way’s actions she’s suffered and continues to suffer from pain, mental anguish, embarrassment, humiliation, stress and anxiety.

    In March 2020, Bowman filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging discrimination based on sex, resulting in harassment and a hostile work environment, as well as retaliation, under Title VII.

    In February 2021, Gallagher resigned from United Way Worldwide, three days after a law firm hired by the nonprofit concluded United Way had demonstrated no “actionable” sexual bias.

    Nearly four years later, on March 7, 2024, the EEOC notified Bowman and United Way Worldwide that it was closing its investigation and providing a Notice of Right to Sue, which allowed Bowman 90 days to file a lawsuit.

    WTOP is seeking comment from United Way Worldwide.

    Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Neal Augenstein

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  • S.F. State employee who oversaw sexual misconduct and discrimination cases alleges retaliation

    S.F. State employee who oversaw sexual misconduct and discrimination cases alleges retaliation

    A former San Francisco State University employee who oversaw the handling of sexual misconduct and discrimination cases alleged that the campus president and an official with the state university system tried to interfere with an investigation into harassment allegations against a professor and said that the school failed to properly investigate hundreds of claims of wrongdoing.

    In a 20-page complaint filed Wednesday against the campus and the California State University system, Heather Borlase said that she was terminated last summer after she launched an investigation into multiple Muslim students’ complaints that a professor showed a drawing of the prophet Muhammad in his Islamic studies class without warning or reason.

    Borlase alleged that San Francisco State President Lynn Mahoney and CSU Vice Chancellor of Human Resources Leora Freedman believed the professor’s actions were protected under academic freedom and asked Borlase to halt the investigation. But Borlase said that a probe was necessary to determine whether the professor’s actions constituted religious harassment. Visual depictions of Muhammad are considered offensive for many Muslims.

    Freedman wanted to offer time “for the parties to reach an informal resolution,” according to the complaint, and took the case from Borlase in April 2023. Roughly a week later, after the case faced public criticism by an outside advocacy group, Borlase said she was placed on administrative leave and learned months later that her job would not be reinstated. According to the complaint, she was told the decision was “in the best interest of the university.”

    The university said that “the change wasn’t made to influence the outcome of any investigation.”

    “Like all CSU campuses, S.F. State takes seriously its responsibility to provide students and employees a safe learning and working environment,” director of communications Bobby King said. “Different leadership was desired to lead work in the department, which was already happening to improve processes and outcomes.”

    Borlase claimed that she inherited more than 400 unresolved cases of harassment, misconduct and discrimination when she started in 2021 and had received pushback from university officials who “expressed concern about the exposure” when she tried to address the reports.

    According to the complaint, the university “encouraged her to only work on the most egregious cases involving current students or faculty. Ms. Borlase insisted on bringing all cases into compliance.”

    In one instance, an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against a professor found that people were dissuaded from bringing such claims forward. But Borlase said she was discouraged from taking corrective action that could put the university “in a negative light,” the complaint said.

    In another instance, an investigation found that a campus administrator had racially harassed an employee, calling them “a runaway slave.” According to the complaint, Borlase was asked to “downplay the university’s failure to act when concerns … were first raised.”

    “S.F. State’s failure to timely respond to student and staff complaints, its interference with the integrity of investigations, and scapegoating and terminating Ms. Borlase cannot be condoned,” said Katherine Smith, one of the attorneys representing Borlase.

    Borlase’s concerns coincided with CSU’s examination of its policies around Title IX — the federal ban on sex discrimination — following multiple accounts of inconsistencies over how university officials handled complaints of sexual misconduct and retaliation. On several of CSU’s 23 campuses from San Diego State University to California State University Maritime Academy, Times investigations found that students and employees lacked confidence in the Title IX process and often feared that their issues would be ignored. A Times analysis of complaints from the 2021-2022 school year found that about 3% of more than 2,600 reports of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct were formally investigated.

    “It is critical for students to know it is safe to come forward and when they do, their complaints will be fairly investigated,” said Wendy Musell, another attorney for Borlase.

    Shortly before Borlase’s dismissal last year, the Cozen O’Connor law firm shared a report with CSU’s Board of Trustees and the university community that found flaws in how CSU campuses collect data, widespread distrust by students and employees in how wrongdoing is addressed and a low number of investigations.

    A state audit found similar breakdowns. And in a push for broader accountability, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law that would require the CSU system to disclose the outcome of sexual harassment cases and investigations.

    The CSU is the largest four-year public university system in the nation. It has previously said that it will make changes to its handling of complaints and is hiring additional staff to improve its investigative process.

    “Transforming culture is not easy or quick. It takes time and significant resources,” Board Chair Wenda Fong told The Times last year.

    Colleen Shalby

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  • Florida Middle Schoolers Arrested for Allegedly Creating Deepfake Nudes of Classmates

    Florida Middle Schoolers Arrested for Allegedly Creating Deepfake Nudes of Classmates

    Two teenage boys from Miami, Florida, were arrested in December for allegedly creating and sharing AI-generated nude images of male and female classmates without consent, according to police reports obtained by WIRED via public record request.

    The arrest reports say the boys, aged 13 and 14, created the images of the students who were “between the ages of 12 and 13.”

    The Florida case appears to be the first arrests and criminal charges as a result of alleged sharing of AI-generated nude images to come to light. The boys were charged with third-degree felonies—the same level of crimes as grand theft auto or false imprisonment—under a state law passed in 2022 which makes it a felony to share “any altered sexual depiction” of a person without their consent.

    The parent of one of the boys arrested did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. The parent of the other boy said that he had “no comment.” The detective assigned to the case, and the state attorney handling the case, did not respond for comment in time for publication.

    As AI image-making tools have become more widely available, there have been several high-profile incidents in which minors allegedly created AI-generated nude images of classmates and shared them without consent. No arrests have been disclosed in the publicly reported cases—at Issaquah High School in Washington, Westfield High School in New Jersey, and Beverly Vista Middle School in California—even though police reports were filed. At Issaquah High School, police opted not to press charges.

    The first media reports of the Florida case appeared in December, saying that the two boys were suspended from Pinecrest Cove Academy in Miami for 10 days after school administrators learned of allegations that they created and shared fake nude images without consent. After parents of the victims learned about the incident, several began publicly urging the school to expel the boys.

    Nadia Khan-Roberts, the mother of one of the victims, told NBC Miami in December that for all of the families whose children were victimized the incident was traumatizing. “Our daughters do not feel comfortable walking the same hallways with these boys,” she said. “It makes me feel violated, I feel taken advantage [of] and I feel used,” one victim, who asked to remain anonymous, told the TV station.

    WIRED obtained arrest records this week that say the incident was reported to police on December 6, 2023, and that the two boys were arrested on December 22. The records accuse the pair of using “an artificial intelligence application” to make the fake explicit images. The name of the app was not specified, and the reports claim the boys shared the pictures between each other.

    “The incident was reported to a school administrator,” the reports say, without specifying who reported it or how that person found out about the images. After the school administrator “obtained copies of the altered images,” the administrator interviewed the victims depicted in them, the reports say, who said that they did not consent to the images being created.

    Caroline Haskins

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  • Diddy Accused Of Sexual Harassment & Assault By Music Producer Who Says He Has Recordings Of ‘Serious Illegal Activity’ – Perez Hilton

    Diddy Accused Of Sexual Harassment & Assault By Music Producer Who Says He Has Recordings Of ‘Serious Illegal Activity’ – Perez Hilton

    [Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]

    Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing yet ANOTHER lawsuit!

    On Monday, a producer on the rapper’s most recent album, The Love Album: Off the Grid, accused him of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and drugging and threatening him. He also claims he has hours of video and audio of Sean and his staff “engaging in serious illegal activity.” Yikes!

    In the new lawsuit obtained by NBC News, the music producer, Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, notes he lived and traveled with Puff from September 2022 to November 2023. This was while making several tracks for the aforementioned record “under an implied work-for-hire agreement.” That is, he allegedly was not compensated for the songs he produced, even though Combs, Love Records, Motown Records, and Universal Music Group were unjustly enriched at his expense. And because of his time in the 54-year-old’s orbit, the suit says “his life has been detrimentally impacted.”

    Related: Kristin Cavallari Recalls ‘Red F**king Flag’ When Diddy Asked Her Out!

    Within that time, Sean allegedly forced him to find sex workers and pressured him into engaging in unwanted sex acts with them to please Combs. To help with allegedly recruiting sex workers, the Coming Home artist gave Jones “an exclusive Bad Boy baseball cap,” which he was required to wear at a Miami establishment, for example, “as a signal to any sex worker he approached” that Diddy was in town.

    He also alleged that the A-lister gave people who attended parties at his homes alcoholic beverages laced with drugs. To prove this, the lawsuit includes alleged screenshots from parties at the houses, which included underage girls and sex workers, some of whom were given drugged-up drinks allegedly at Combs’ discretion.

    Jones went on to allege that his boss sexually harassed and assaulted him while he lived at his homes in Florida, Los Angeles, New York, and on a yacht the musician rented in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This behavior allegedly included “constant unsolicited and unauthorized groping and touching of his anus.” He was also supposedly forced to work in Diddy’s bathroom — while he showered naked behind a glass wall!

    As for why Rodney went along with it, he insisted that Puff was “forceful and demanding” — and someone who wouldn’t take no for an answer. He also “consistently made it clear that he has immense power in the music industry and with law enforcement,” and allegedly threatened to physically harm him if he didn’t obey his orders. WTF.

    When the producer brought up concerns about the treatment to the rapper’s chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, she dismissed the behavior as “friendly horseplay, stating that those acts were Mr. Combs way of ‘showing that he likes you.’” The lawsuit accuses Khoramm of aiding and abetting Combs’ sexual assault of Jones and of working with the performer “to groom him into accepting a homosexual relationship.”

    Then there was also an icky incident on February 2, 2023. In the court docs, Lil Rod accused Sean of drugging him, and he claimed that he woke up naked, dizzy, and confused in bed with Diddy and two sex workers. Jeez…

    In another concerning incident, Rodney claims Sean forced him to watch as he displayed his guns and bragged about getting away with shooting people, even claiming in a separate incident that he was responsible for a 1999 nightclub shooting with rapper Shyne. Diddy was acquitted of charges connected to that case — but his pal was sentenced to 10 years in jail.

    Shockingly, Jones supposedly has much of this behavior in video and audio recordings since the artist required the producer to “record him constantly” and would even use Jones’ phone to record himself. So that could be seriously bad for Diddy, if true.

    But Diddy’s not the only one getting called out! Several other people in the star’s circle have also been named in the suit, which was filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Sean’s 30-year-old son, Justin Combs, his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, Universal Music Group CEO Sir Lucian Grainge, and former Motown Records CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam were all listed as defendants. Jones alleges that Grainge, Habtemariam, Motown Records, Love Records, and Universal Music Group worked with Combs in a “RICO enterprise” — a group that violates the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act — and “failed to adequately monitor, warn, or supervise” the actions of Combs, his son, and his chief of staff. He is seeking $30 million. Wow!!

    While reps for several of the defendants couldn’t be reached, an attorney for P. Diddy, Shawn Holley, clapped back at the filing. he said that Jones’ “reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines.” The attorney continued:

    “We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies. Our attempts to share this proof with Mr. Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr. Blackburn refuses to return our calls. We will address these outlandish allegations in court and take all appropriate action against those who make them.”

    This is just one of many lawsuits against the rapper at this time, though he has previously denied all allegations against him.

    Reactions? Let us know (below).

    If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and would like to learn more about resources, consider checking out https://www.rainn.org/resources. 

    [Image via Vogue/YouTube]

    Perez Hilton

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  • Diddy’s Lawyer Speaks Out After He’s Accused Of Sexual Assault & Harassment By Former Male Employee

    Diddy’s Lawyer Speaks Out After He’s Accused Of Sexual Assault & Harassment By Former Male Employee

    Diddy‘s lawyer is speaking out after the music mogul was accused of sexual harassment and assault by a former male employee. As The Shade Room previously reported, on November 16, 2023, the music mogul was sued for sexual assault, abuse, and trafficking by his ex-girlfriend, Cassie.

    A few days later, the singer’s lawsuit against Diddy was settled. However, since then, more people have come forward accusing the 54-year-old of similar actions.

    RELATED: Cassie Files Lawsuit Against Diddy Alleging Assault, Abuse & Trafficking

    Here’s What Diddy Is Being Accused Of In New Lawsuit From Former Male Employee

    According to TMZ, a man named Rodney Jones, also known as Lil Rod, has filed the new lawsuit against Diddy. Jones reportedly is a former videographer and producer for the music mogul.

    The outlet reports that Jones is alleging he was sexually assaulted by Diddy. Additionally, the man alleges to have been subject to “unwanted advances by associates of Diddy at his direction.”

    TRIGGER WARNING: This portion of the article contains content related to sexual assault.

    Furthermore, Jones is asserting that Diddy would grope his genitals and “touch his anus.” The music mogul is also accused of parading “around naked in front of Jones.”

    Rodney Jones’ Assault Allegations Also Involve Other Celebrities

    TMZ reports that Jones believes Diddy was trying to “groom him into having sex” despite the music mogul seeming to downplay his advances as “horseplay.”

    Jones has also alleged that Diddy’s “grooming” of him involved coercing him to watch a video of Stevie J having sex with another man. TMZ reports that Jones’ lawsuit includes a screenshot from the alleged video.

    However, Jones’ allegations reportedly don’t end there.

    The man says that a female cousin of Yung Miami’s also sexually assaulted him. The woman allegedly tried to have sex with him in front of Diddy and “members of his staff.”

    Furthermore, Rodney Jones also alleges that Diddy brought prostitutes to his home. Jones reportedly believes that on one occasion when he was present, he was “drugged and possibly raped.”

    The man is also accusing Diddy of intentionally serving laced drinks to women at his parties while probing underage girls with alcohol. Furthermore, Jones alleges that Diddy directed his son, Justin Combs, and Stevie J to “recruit prostitutes” and underage girls to attend these parties.

    Lastly, Jones adds that Diddy introduced him to Cuba Gooding Jr. On the occasion, Jones claims that the actor was “touching, groping, and fondling Mr. Jones’s legs, his upper inner thighs near his groin, the small of his back near his buttocks and his shoulders.”

    Diddy’s Lawyer Speaks Out Amid The Recent Allegations

    According to TMZ, Jones is suing Diddy, his son Justin, and “other employees as well as various record execs.” He is reportedly seeking at least $30 million in damages.

    Diddy’s attorney, Shawn Holley, has since shared a statement regarding Jones’ recent allegations with the outlet.

    “[Rodney Jones] is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30 million lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday. His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines,” Holley explained. “We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies. Our attempts to share this proof with Mr. Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr. Blackburn refuses to return our calls. We will address these outlandish allegations in court and take all appropriate action against those who make them.”

    At this time, we should note that a producer by the name of Lil Rod, who appears to have worked with Diddy on his recent album, ‘The Love Album: Off The Grid,’ has shared his grievances with the music mogul on Instagram.

    The Shade Room is unable to confirm whether this is the man who filed the lawsuit against Diddy. However, a GoFundMe campaign has been created by the producer, whose campaign is listed as Rodney Jones.

    Additionally, the campaign is titled “Help Me Sue Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.”

    The campaign’s description alleges that the man is “fighting” for “producer’s rates (money), publishing shares, and royalties” owed from his work on the album.

    “For the better part of the past 6 months, my team and I have extended every opportunity we knew possible to have these matters addressed and resolved (fairly) but in private. However, Diddy’s negotiation tactics, to stall communications, dry out (my) funds, and have me negotiating out of desperation or without a real means of fighting back has forced me here!” the campaign’s description reads in part.

    Furthermore, the GoFundMe campaign has a goal of $50,000, with over $1,400 raised thus far.

    This is a developing story. Be sure to check back in with The Shade Room for more updates.

    RELATED: Thousands Of Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Revealed Under The Adult Abuse Survivors Act | TSR Investigates

    Jadriena Solomon

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