sexual misconduct
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'We Have to Ensure Accountability': Anita Hill to Launch an App Identifying Serial Abusers in Entertainment
Prior to being portrayed by Kerry Washington in 2016’s Confirmation (HBO), few people would’ve associated esteemed attorney and academic Anita Hill with Hollywood. Understandably, the longtime professor of women’s studies and social policy and law in Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management had largely stayed out of the spotlight after reluctantly entering…
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Former Louisville Officer Involved in Breonna Taylor Shooting Faces Lawsuit for Sexual Assault
In June, The Root reported that former Louisville Metro Police Detective Brett Hankison—one of three officers who fatally shot Breonna Taylor and the only officer facing charges related to the shooting (essentially for the bullets that missed, but whatever)—was accused of sexual assault by two women who posted about their experiences on social media. On…
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OK, So Maybe the Washington Football Team Is a Bigger Mess Than We Realized
OK, we all knew Dan Snyder was a terrible boss, but holy shit. As the team formerly known as the Washington Racial Slurs continues to endure the worst off-season ever, the team now faces even more accusations of sexual harassment following 15 former employees accusing the team of sexual misconduct and verbal abuse in July.…
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Cuba Gooding Jr. Accused of Raping a Woman in 2013
Another woman has come forward with accusations against Cuba Gooding Jr. An unidentified woman has filed a civil lawsuit against the actor, alleging that he raped her twice in 2013. She is suing Gooding for a “crime of violence” under the New York City Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act. Variety details the allegations (Trigger…
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Essence Answers Sexual Harassment Claims Against Owner Richelieu Dennis With Results of 1st Internal Review
As the 26th annual—and first virtual—Essence Festival dawned this year, #BlackFemaleAnonymous, a group of “former and current employees” of the 50-year-old magazine published an indicting missive titled “The Truth About Essence.” The open letter (subsequently legally referred to as “the Article”) alleged a toxic workplace culture, pay inequities, nepotism, and “an unhinged abuse of power.”…
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Three Men Connected With R. Kelly Charged With 'Threatening and Intimidating' Female Accusers
Justice may have moved frustratingly slow in holding R. Kelly accountable for countless allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation, but life is coming at several of his alleged enablers fast. On Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that federal prosecutors have announced charges against three men accused of “threatening and intimidating” women who have come forward…
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15 Women Accuse Former Employees of Washington's NFL Team of Sexual Misconduct, Verbal Abuse
Oh boy. For the past week, there have been rumblings about a bombshell report coming out that would expose the rotten underbelly of Washington’s NFL team, and on Thursday we finally found out what it was. The Washington Post reports that 15 former employees of Washington’s NFL team, all women, have accused team staff of…
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Black Second City Alumni Demand Racism and Sexual Misconduct Investigation Within Comedy Industry
As we watch the imploding of legacy media and public accountability of entertainment brands and companies happening in real-time, this definitely seems to be a time of reckoning. Today’s spotlight is on the comedy industry. According to Deadline, Chris Redd (Saturday Night Live), Amber Ruffin (Late Night With Seth Meyers), Sam Richardson (Veep) and Aasia…
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Drew Dixon, Sil Lai Abrams and Sheri Sher Go On the Record About Russell Simmons and Dismantling the Misogynoir System
On the Record has been a very long time coming. Beyond the unfortunately standard silencing of black women, the 2020 Sundance Film Festival pick has had its share of distribution drama. Eventually, it found a home in newly launched streaming platform HBO Max and has been released during a timely moment in our culture—the era…
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Jury Rules Former TV Host Tavis Smiley, Accused of Sexual Misconduct, Must Pay PBS $1.5 Million for Violating Morals Clause
For the last several years, Tavis Smiley has demanded he have his day in court against his former employer, PBS. He got his wish in February, claiming that the network weaponized its morality clause against him; PBS counterclaimed that multiple, credible accusations of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment made his employment at PBS untenable. On…