On January 7th, the United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in United States vs. Lanier and consider the constitutionality of using a Reconstruction-era federal statue for prosecuting state and local officials. The case involves Tennessee Judge David W. Lanier who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexually assaulting five women who […]
Ireland Consider Reforms in Handling Violent Crimes Committed Against Women
A working group established in 1995 by the National Women’s Council of Ireland and funded by the Department of Justice has recommended eighty-four reforms to the Minster of Justice in dealing with violent crimes against women. Minister of Justice Mrs. Owen has pledged that some of the recommendations will go into effect immediately. Some of […]
Girl Expelled From School for Wearing Lipstick Files Suit
A thirteen-year-old girl, suspended from a Pikeville, Kentucky school for wearing black lipstick, is back at school, sans lipstick, but is filing suit against the school. School officials suspended Karla Chapman on November 13th for wearing lipstick which caused a “distraction” to other students. She was suspended for three days and was then turned away […]
Women Slowly Making Progress in Workplace
A new study conducted by the Population Reference Bureau has found that women have made slow progress toward achieving equity with men in the workplace. The study found that between 1970 and 1995 the share of women 25 to 54 who work outside the home climbed from 50 percent to 76 percent. Women have also […]
Oklahoma Abortion Clinic Bombed
Two bombs were thrown inside of a Tulsa, Oklahoma abortion clinic on New Year’s Day. No staff or patients were injured because the clinic had been closed for the holiday; the clinic did sustain minor smoke and fire damage. Sherri Finik, director of the Reproductive Services Clinic said that the clinic has added motion sensors […]
Dallas Cowboy Stars Accused of Sexual Assault
A twenty-three year-old woman has accused Dallas Cowboy players Michael Irvin and Erik Williams of sexually assaulting her at Williams’ home in Dallas. The woman claims that Irvin held a gun to her head while Williams and another man raped her. Irvin is already on probation after pleading no contest to a cocaine possession charge.
Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Washington Times Appeal in Sex Discrimination Suit
On December 15th, the Supreme Court refused to hear arguments in The Washington Times Corp. vs. Derman, a sex discrimination suit the newspaper lost in lower courts. Last year, a federal jury awarded Julie Berman $47,185 in compensatory damages and $789,185 in punitive damages after finding that the Washington Times had discriminated against the graphic […]
Female Cadets’ Lawyers Ask for Hazing Evidence from the Citadel
The lawyers of female Citadel cadets who were hazed during their first semester by upper-class cadets have requested evidence from the military institute. The lawyers are asking for a cassette tape taken from one of the women, Jeanie Mentavlos, when the upper-classmen discovered a concealed tape recorder she wore to prove the harassment occurred and […]
Supreme Court Asks Clinton Administration’s Advice on Same Sex-Harassment Suit
The Supreme Court has asked the Clinton Administration to consider whether or not same-sex harassment violates federal law. The Court has put on hold a decision of whether or not to hear a case involving a man allegedly harassed by his male co-workers and supervisor at an oil rig until it hears an opinion from […]
Department of Justice Enters Prop 209 Legal Fray
President Clinton’s Press Secretary, Mike McCurry, announced on December 20th that the Department of Justice will intervene on behalf of opponents of the anti-affirmative action California Proposition 209. McCurry said that the President, who strongly opposes Prop 209, and lawyers for the Department of Justice examined the Constitutional issues involved in the proposition thoroughly before […]
Three College Basketball Players Taped Alleged Gang-Rape
After watching a videotape made by three former college basketball players accusing of recording their gang-rape of a female student, a judge has decided the men will stand trial. Four men accused of raping or helping to rape the woman were expelled from Southwestern Michigan College on November 7, six days after the alleged attack […]
Jury Award Upheld Against Anti-Abortion Groups
The 14th Court of Appeals in Houston, Texas decided on December 19 to uphold a $1 million jury award against two anti-abortion groups who staged demonstrations at Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas during the 1992 Republican Convention. The three-judge panel ruled that the group’s use of firebombing and death threats was “highly offensive […]
South Carolina Naval Brig Under Investigation for Sexual and Racial Harassment
The Navy and Air Force are investigating charges of sex and race harassment at the Charleston Naval Weapons Station. The Post and Courier papers said they received two written Navy reports indicating a climate of racial and sexual tension at the brig. The report did not recommend immediate punishment for the military prison’s Navy Commander […]
Serial Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Exposed
The Washington Post reported Sunday, December 22, on a number of sexual harassment cases in the workforce. One major incident of “serial” sexual harassment in which a harasser’s actions impact numerous women involved Dan Wassong, chief executive of cosmetic company Del Laboratories. After 15 women told the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that Wassong had asked […]
Women Demand Resignation of Indiana Representative from Army Sex Scandal Panel
Vice President of the National Organization for Women Karen Johnson said that Rep. Steven Buyer (R-Indiana) should step down from the Congressional panel investigating claims of pervasive sexual harassment at Aberdeen Proving Ground’s Ordnance Center in Maryland. Buyer, an Army Reserve major, said that the scandal was the result of a “few bad apples.” Johnson […]
Curious George Co-creator Dies at Age 90
Margret E. Rey, part of the husband and wife team which created the mythical Curious George died on December 22nd in her Cambridge home. She had suffered a heart attack three weeks earlier. She helped create the monkey character while she and her husband were living in Paris during the 1930s. They smuggled an unpublished […]
Clinton Appoints Alexis Herman to Secretary of Labor
Clinton has appointed his close aide, Alexis Herman, to become the Secretary of the Department of Labor. Herman has previously served as the Director of the Women’s Bureau in President Carter’s Labor Department and has served as the vice-chair for the Democratic National Committee. She has most recently served as the White House public liaison, […]
Citadel Makes Changes to Address Hazing Incidents
The Citadel has announced that it plans to station overnight, adult supervisors to all barracks. This change, taking effect next month, was instituted to try and prevent the hazing incident which happened to two female cadets this past semester. The women reported the hazing to their student cadet supervisors but the supervisors did not take […]
Clinton Considers Changes to Welfare Legislation
Clinton aides helping the President with the 1997 budget have disclosed plans to increase some welfare programs radically cut in last year’s welfare legislation. The plans include an additional $13 billion, aimed mainly at aiding legal immigrants, especially immigrant children and disabled immigrants. The plan also includes plans to give indigent people with high housing […]
VOA Sex Discrimination Suit Coming to Close
Voice of America, a government sponsored overseas radio broadcasting program, faces sex discrimination claims in excess of $500 million dollars. Twelve years ago, a federal judge ruled that VOA discriminated against women in its hiring practices. Now, a special master, law professor Stephen A. Saltzburg, is in the process of deciding how much, if any, […]