Sunday, May 5

Tag: sexual

By filing for bankruptcy, the Boy Scouts may compensate more survivors of sexual abuse
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BUSINESS

By filing for bankruptcy, the Boy Scouts may compensate more survivors of sexual abuse

The Boy Scouts of America has filed for bankruptcy to figure out how to fairly compensate thousands of survivors of alleged sexual abuse who accuse the Scouts of neglecting to protect them. Revelations regarding decades of the abuse of children and long-running institutional failures to stop the abuse are raising questions about the future of the Boy Scouts and what will become of its troops. The Scouts’ initial bankruptcy documents state that 275 lawsuits are pending in state and federal courts across the country, and that attorneys for survivors estimate another 1,400 claims will be filed. The Scouts disclosed that they have spent US$150 million on settlements and legal fees between 2017 and 2019. I’m a legal scholar who has studied the bankruptcy cases filed by hundreds of nonprofit...
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School resource officers aren’t arrested often – but when they are, it’s usually for sexual misconduct
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IN OTHER NEWS

School resource officers aren’t arrested often – but when they are, it’s usually for sexual misconduct

The presence of law enforcement in schools – better known as school resource officers – has become increasingly common. These officers, who have full law enforcement powers, are supposed to keep students safe. Earlier this year, however, a former Michigan school resource officer – Matthew Priebe – was convicted and sentenced to one year in jail for doing just the opposite. Instead of protecting students from threats, Officer Priebe had been sexually preying on female students, using his power as a school police officer to engage in inappropriate and nonconsensual sexual acts with students. This latest headline is not a singular event. Within the past year, several other school resource officers have been arrested or convicted of sexual misconduct with students. The good news is this kin...
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Revenge porn is sexual violence, not millennial negligence
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Journalism

Revenge porn is sexual violence, not millennial negligence

U.S. Representative Katie Hill was the latest victim of a form of sexual abuse that’s become increasingly common: revenge porn. Intimate photos of her were leaked to the media and published, without her consent, for the world to see – a transgression Hill suspects her estranged husband was behind. The photos implicated Hill in a sexual relationship with a congressional staffer, an accusation that potentially put Hill in violation of House ethics rules. Hill, a 32-year-old freshman representative, ended up resigning her seat on October 27. Yet some of the ensuing coverage, instead of zeroing in on the leaked photographs, centered on blaming Hill for not being careful enough. “The best way to avoid being a victim of revenge porn is to not take nude selfies and send them to people,” ...
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Media face challenges in rush to sexual misconduct reckoning
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Journalism

Media face challenges in rush to sexual misconduct reckoning

Talk-show host Tavis Smiley isn’t just angry at PBS for firing him on sexual misconduct charges. He’s angry about his depiction in the media. Smiley believes that if he hadn’t talked publicly about romantic relationships with subordinates at his company, the behavior that led to his downfall, the public would make little distinction between him and those who have been accused of sexual assault or rape. Conflation of different forms of misbehavior — the idea itself is controversial — is one of the issues facing media organizations covering the fast-moving story of sexual misconduct that went into overdrive with investigations into Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein’s behavior. “The media is painting with too broad a brush,” Smiley said. “We have lost all sense of nuance and proportionality...
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