Discuss sexuality under friends and peers

Last summer, as it wrapped up multiple settlements after the Roger Ailes sexual harassment scandal, Fox News and its parent company, 21st Century Fox, were trying hard to end the ugliest chapter in its 20-year history. The downfall of Mr. Ailes, the former chairman and chief executive, had exposed a newsroom culture that many women there called hostile and demeaning. 21st Century Fox ordered an internal investigation and stated publicly that “behavior that disrespects women” would not be tolerated. Nearly eight months later, the company finds itself still dealing with fallout from that crisis. In late February, 21st Century Fox reached a settlement worth more than $2.5 million with a former Fox News contributor who reported that she was sexually assaulted by an executive at company headquarters two years ago, according to people briefed on the agreement. The contributor, Tamara N. Holder, has said that the network executive tried to force her to perform oral sex on him in … [Read more...] about Fox Is Said to Settle With Former Contributor Over Sexual Assault Claims

Bill Cosby faces new civil lawsuits from women who have accused him of sexual misconduct decades ago , brought about by states’ passing laws that expand the window for sexual abuse accusers to take action. Victoria Valentino, a former Playboy model who has publicly accused Cosby of drugging her and raping her in 1969, sued him Thursday, now that California legislators have temporarily allowed sexual abuse lawsuits in cases that exceed the 10-year statute of limitations. Valentino, 80, says she never thought when she came forward that she would ever see any form of tangible justice in her case. “No matter how much of a settlement comes out of this, and if, you know, if nothing comes out of it, it doesn’t matter, because it will never replace what was taken from me,” Valentino said. All details Valentino shared to NBC News about the alleged incident are also in the lawsuit. She said she met Cosby in 1969 when she went for an audition after her 6-year-old son died. … [Read more...] about Bill Cosby faces new sexual assault lawsuits after states extend statutes of limitations

0 Politics & Government Minnesota Democrats say a sweeping labor bill they passed on Tuesday could be the most significant worker protection bill in state history. Minnesota Reformer , News Partner Posted Reply By Max Nesterak, Minnesota Reformer : Minnesota Democrats say a sweeping labor bill they passed on Tuesday could be the most significant worker protection bill in state history. “This bill is a big damn deal,” said Sen. Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, during a news conference. The labor bill ( SF3035 ) includes a Democratic wish list years in the making that will affect virtually every worker in the state. The bill mandates paid sick days, bans noncompete agreements, boosts funding for workplace safety inspectors and increases protections for workers in nursing homes, Amazon warehouses, meatpacking plants, construction sites, hospitals and public schools. Democrats are also advancing a host of other labor … [Read more...] about Minnesota Lawmakers Approve 9 Major Worker-Friendly Changes

close Video Loudoun County school board has shown a ‘complete unwillingness’ to be ‘accountable’: Ian Prior Executive Director of Fight for Schools Ian Prior discusses the Loudoun County school board's decision to vote against releasing an internal report of their handling of two sexual assaults. The Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia named Aaron Spence as the next superintendent on Friday, seven months after the district fired its superintendent amid allegations of mishandling sexual assault cases at two schools. Spence, who has served as the superintendent of Virginia Beach Public Schools since 2014, was voted in a 6 to 2 decision to lead LCPS. One board member was absent for the vote. "I am honored to serve as your superintendent and look forward to building upon the already solid foundation of academic excellence in Loudoun County Public Schools," he said in a statement. "It will be my goal from day one to ensure we are leading … [Read more...] about Loudoun County Public Schools names new superintendent amid controversy over response to sexual assaults

Since the news that Hugh Hefner died on Wednesday night, at 91, the obituaries and tributes have been pouring in. While many have focused on the pajama-clad avatar of sybaritic male pleasure, others have paid tribute to a less familiar figure: Hef the progressive. No less a liberal lion than Norman Lear praised him on Twitter as “a true explorer.” Jesse Jackson hailed him as a strong supporter of the civil rights movement, while Larry King called him “a GIANT” of free speech. Others noted that while Hefner loved to excoriate feminists in the pages of Playboy, he was a supporter of some of their causes, including abortion rights and the Equal Rights Amendment. It was an image Mr. Hefner himself was keen to promote, especially in recent years. But how well does the idea of Hef the liberator of women really hold up? The New York Times Culture writers Amanda Hess, Wesley Morris and Taffy Brodesser-Akner joined me in a discussion of Hefner’s social and cultural legacy. JENNIFER … [Read more...] about Hugh Hefner, a Force for Good? Discuss.

Bill Cosby, freed from prison but still trailed by accusations that he was a sexual predator, was sued on Thursday by a former Playboy model who says he drugged and sexually assaulted her more than 50 years ago. The suit, filed in Los Angeles by Victoria Valentino, 80, accuses Mr. Cosby of assault and says it occurred in that city in 1969 after she and a friend met him for a meal in a restaurant. The suit was filed under a new California law that has temporarily lifted the statute of limitations in sexual assault cases. Valentino, a longtime public critic of Mr. Cosby and a supporter of other accusers who has attended court during previous legal cases against the entertainer, said in an interview that she was grateful the new law had made it possible to take legal action. “This new law that has gone into effect, never in a million years did I expect to see tangible justice,” Ms. Valentino said. A spokesman for Mr. Cosby, Andrew Wyatt, said that Ms. Valentino had made … [Read more...] about Bill Cosby Accused in a Lawsuit of Sexually Assaulting a Woman in 1969