Editorial: Court cases following #MeToo movement show victims’ bravery in describing abuse
In the past several days, we’ve seen the legal fallout from the #MeToo campaign, with dozens of allegations made and more than a dozen individuals involved in lawsuits, settlements and public apologies from prominent figures such as Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein.
Those accused include actors and actresses who say they were sexually assaulted by these powerful industry figures. The incidents range from groping, rape and sexual misconduct to rape and sexual harassment.
It’s important to see the courage these victims have displayed in coming forward and speaking out. They deserve to be heard, they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and they deserve the same measure of safety as anyone else who reports an allegation.
And yet, far too often, this kind of courage is not rewarded.
According to the Center for Public Integrity, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that tracks the U.S. court system, there were 7,079 rape, sexual assault and sex trafficking lawsuits filed in federal courts during fiscal year 2016.
Those lawsuits represented just 1% of all lawsuits filed in the last nine years, which amounts to around 50,000 cases.
When you consider the number of alleged abusers in Hollywood, and the amount of time they’ve spent on the job, we should have zero tolerance for predatory behavior, and for that we should start with the men who abuse our power and position in the entertainment industry and let the women know it’s not okay. And the women in power should do the same.
The Weinstein Co. is a publicly traded company in which it is the sole shareholder and sole operating entity, and yet it continues to pay sexual harassment and assault allegations to women against its founder, who was fired from the company less than a year ago. The company and the board of directors have yet to face any consequences for the wrong they committed.
Despite the company’s public stance on the #MeToo movement, Weinstein has no plans to leave as he looks
