#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 [...]
What You Need to Know About Uber & Lyft Sexual Assaults
Updated August 3, 2017.In March of 2016 we wrote a post about the dangers of using a ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. Later in April 2016, a district attorney in San Francisco sued Uber for falsely claiming they had used "the most comprehensive screening of would-be drivers available." It was later revealed that these screenings did not include fingerprinting for past convictions, and Uber settled the case for $10,000,000.Update: October 2017 Be aware that there are general personal injury lawyers claiming to assist sexual assault victims who have little to no experience in this field of law. Our firm [...]
Sexual Assault on Campus Statistics
The conversation about sexual assault on college campuses has grown widespread in the aftermath of the Brock Turner rape case at Stanford University, where the survivor’s powerful story captured the nation’s attention. Since the case’s outcome, school administrators and safety officials are under greater pressure to inform the public about how they intend to keep students safe during the school year. Campus sexual assault statistics consistently show a failure by the administration to prioritize student safety. This is why we want to arm students and parents with the knowledge necessary to protect themselves and, in hopefully rare circumstances, be as [...]
A Patient’s Right to Privacy Violated
Recently, 36-year-old dental assistant Luis Ramos was arrested on charges of oral copulation and sexual battery for assaulting women while under anesthesia. Investigation into the office’s surveillance videos captured Ramos committing these heinous and lude acts on 13 unsuspecting women, who simply came to have their teeth worked on. Now we’ve learned the violations have gone from bad to worse because none of these patients knew that Park Boulevard Oral Surgery’s owner, Dr. Steven Podstreleny, was recording their activity on the premises, including in private exam rooms. No documentation of written consent for video recording has been found for any [...]
Dental Assistant Charged with Oral Copulation and Sexual Battery
I've met and worked with hundreds of women who have been sexually assaulted and abused. I've heard stories of workplace harassment, harassment in public, and many of the women I often represent think it is their fault. They feel that because they drank a little too much and may have been "incapacitated" and so they are partly to blame. It is never their fault. The accused is a calculated predator, and I'm looking forward to holding Luis Ramos responsible for assaulting women while they were under anesthesia, or as the law says "medically incapacitated." A $2 million bail has been [...]
Uber Unsafe: The Hidden Dangers of Ride-Sharing
News Update: April 13, 2016 - Uber will pay at least $10 million to settle allegations that it misled passengers about the quality of its driver background checks. A district attorney in San Francisco, where Uber is based, led a lawsuit accusing Uber of falsely claiming it used the most comprehensive screening of would-be drivers available, citing that these checks did not include fingerprinting for past convictions. Since its inception, ride-share services have revolutionized the way we get around. It seems like a win-win business model. Ride-share companies Uber and Lyft provide jobs for people with cars, help minimize an [...]
5 Best Apps for Campus Safety
Whether it’s your first semester or your last, heading off to college is both an exciting and nerve wracking time. And not just because of the intellectual demands of classes. Campus safety has increasingly become a major issue facing students across the nation. A recent survey conducted by the Association of American University found that nearly 30% of all college students, no matter their gender or sexual identity, have experienced some form of sexual assault over the course of their college career. Three-fourths of these victims did not report their assault to either the university or police due to fear [...]
