California appeals court rules sexual harassment complaint against teacher public record

A Santa Monica math teacher lost a lawsuit in a California appeals court to keep a sexual harassment complaint against him private. The court found substantial public interest in the release of details of the investigation into a parent’s charge that the teacher sexually harassed his thirteen-year-old daughter. The charge was not fully substantiated. -db [...]

High school student suspended for critical Facebook posting

A Mississippi high school senior is suing his school administration in federal court for suspending him for a rap song he wrote off campus in his free time and posted on Facebook. The song criticized two coaches he observed who allegedly flirted with female students and contacted intimate  body parts of the students. The senior [...]

Lara Logan story points to need for greater protections for women on assignment

In an opinion piece in Mother Jones, Mac McClelland writes that the dangers women face covering volatile events in distant lands have for various reasons been neglected. The Lara Logan sexual assault in Egypt is but the latest of a number of frightening incidents. McClelland supports current efforts to include a section on sexual harassment [...]

Groups sue Pentagon over records of military sexual assault and harassment

The American Civil Liberties Union and a service women’s advocacy group is suing the Department of Defense for records of sexual assault and harassment in the armed forces in a campaign to get the government to provide recourse and improved benefits for victims. -db American Civil Liberties Union Press Release December 13, 2010 NEW HAVEN, [...]

Free speech: San Diego firefighters win partial ruling over forced participation in gay parade

A California appeals court ruled that San Diego firefighter did not lose state free speech rights but suffered a hostile and abusive work environment in enduring harassment during a gay rights parade they were forced to participate in. -db Metropolitan News-Enterprise October 15, 2010 By Steven M. Ellis The Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled [...]

Fired for Facebook protest, worker sues for sexual harassment

A medical technician is seeking damages for civil rights violations, sexual harassment, and assault and battery after her supervisor allegedly harassed and assaulted her. She was fired shortly after a Facebook posting saying her boss need to “keep his creepy hands off” her. -db Courthouse News Service June 1, 2010 By Joe Harris TOPEKA, Kan. [...]

Atherton: Pay-out to former police officer not reported to residents

In settling a claim by a retired police officer involving sexual harassment and disability, Atherton officials failed to make the settlement public until a month later. -DB The Almanac January 6, 2010 By Andrea Gemmet Atherton officials said that the failure to inform residents about a $230,000 pay-out to a former police officer was an [...]

A&A: Councilman asks intern on date via city issued cell

Q: I have learned that a city councilman was sending text messages to a city intern, asking her for a date. I would like to file a CPR request for the text messages sent from his city issued Blackberry. I’m sure they (the councilman and the city attorney) would try to argue that such a [...]

California buy-out firm chills First Amendment

When the San Diego Reader asked Platinum Equity – who recently purchased another newspaper in town, the San Diego Union-Tribune – the nature of the dismissal of a case of sexual harassment brought by two former employees of Platinum, the firm sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Reader, warning them not to publish the letter [...]

No light shines on harassment settlements in California legislature

The California State Assembly and Senate have paid significant sums of money to settle harassment cases in the workplace but a 1968 open-records law keeps the details of the cases secret. -DB Los Angeles Times July 16, 2009 By Patrick McGreevy Reporting from Sacramento—State Senate officials have secretly approved a $70,000 legal settlement that prohibits a [...]