California Statute of Limitations for Sexual Assault Could Change with New Bill
“It never sat well with me all these years," explained Nicole Hayes, a former USC student and survivor of gynecologist Dr. George Tyndall. As the only campus OBGYN at the university, Tyndall has been accused of sexual misconduct and assault by hundreds of patients who saw him over the course of 30 years, prompting a high profile class action lawsuit. For Haynes—and many other survivors—coming forward can be terrifying and overwhelming. Aside from dealing with shame, hopelessness, self-blame and denial, survivors often repress memories or downplay the incident in an attempt to forget. On top of this, sexual assault survivors [...]
Pride Law Firm Brings Civil Lawsuit Against Doctor
Unfortunately, a full cup of justice is not always served in criminal court proceedings. Last Friday, a San Diego criminal court judge determined that licensed psychiatrist Leon Fajerman, now 75 years old, will adhere to the following punishment for his sexual assault of seven women under his care: He will be placed under house arrest for six months with good behavior He may leave his home only for doctor appointments and four walks per week He is no longer able to practice medicine of any kind He will pay restitution that has yet to be determined as of this writing [...]
Doctor Sexual Assault: A New Bill to End Secrecy
A New Bill to End Secrecy Behind Doctor Sexual Assault Were you a victim of doctor sexual assault? As patients, we rely on our doctors to provide us with reliable health care in a safe and professional environment. Sadly, many doctors have abused their positions of power, turning unsuspecting patients into sexual targets. Because there is a lack of transparency in the reporting of abuse, doctor sexual assault is more prevalent than many realize. A new California bill will mandate that doctors fully disclose past misconduct or present investigations to their patients, including sexual assault. Doctor Sexual Assault Makes Headlines [...]
Google Meets Protest Demands to End Sexual Harassment Arbitration
Android creator Andy Rubin resigned from Google with a $90 million severance package amid sexual assault allegations. Image: Tomohiro Ohsumi — Bloomberg via Getty Images. Amidst the #MeToo Movement, thousands of workers have risen in protest against Google’s mishandling of sexual harassment cases and male-dominated culture. Google is now promising to reform its processes for cases of harassment and discrimination. Thousands of Employees Participate in Global Walkout Google employees participated in a universal walkout at Google offices worldwide, protesting the company’s poor management of sexual harassment claims. The walkout was incited a week after the New York Times published an [...]
Thousands of Migrants Report Sexual Abuse While in Custody
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency policy prohibits sexual abuse. Although abuse is illegal regardless of your citizenship, migrant victims of sexual abuse often live in fear and helplessness after the trauma of their assault. Because of this, many do not know where to find help and suffer in silence. If you have experienced sexual assault as a migrant or while being detained by ICE, you can achieve justice and find healing. You are not alone and you have rights, no matter your legal status. Our compassionate team of advocates are here to provide legal recourse for you if [...]
Sexual Assault on Airplanes
Airplane sexual assaults are highly specific forms of assault that involve limited time and space for the violation to occur. They often involve repeat offenders who have calculated their processes. Understanding how these assaults are accomplished can help identify and prevent them. Airline sexual assault usually takes the form of unwelcome touching, a felony that can land offenders in prison. But even with such steep consequences, criminals are undeterred and often go unpunished. This is part of the reason airline sexual assaults often involve repeat offenders. It is not uncommon for assault survivors to navigate the problem with little help [...]
#MeToo – My Story of Sexual Harassment
In one of my first “real” jobs out of college, an older, male colleague sexually harassed me. He worked in a different department than me. We had little reason to interact. Yet, for a period of time, I would receive daily emails from him to go out to lunch. At first, the invitations seemed innocuous. I politely declined. Over time, however, the invitations felt more forcefully flirtatious. After a period of several weeks of repeated, polite declines he didn’t seem to get the hint – I wasn’t interested. I started to make excuses: “My ‘boyfriend’ wouldn’t like it if we [...]
Massage Envy Faces Sexual Assault Claims From More Than 180 Women
Massages are meant to be a relaxing way to release tension and stress from the body. And for many, the service of a skilled massage therapist can be a blessing. But what happens when a massage turns into something else—something uninvited? This is the case for popular massage franchise Massage Envy, who is at the root of over 180 sexual assault claims by female clients. The billion-dollar spa chain also faces allegations that massage assault claims were mishandled and in some cases even ignored. Massage Envy spas adopt a business model similar to that of a fast food chain, providing [...]
