Two former employees of the supermarket chain Kroger are suing after they say the store where they worked discriminated against them for their religious beliefs.
NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1240252">reported</a> that the lawsuit, filed in federal court on Monday, alleges the two Christian employees refused to wear new company aprons that featured a rainbow heart on them, which they believed was an “endorsement of the LGBTQ community.” The two employees said in the lawsuit that they hold a “religious belief that homosexuality is a sin” and requested a religious accommodation to wear their nametags over the heart.
The two former employees, 72-year-old Brenda Lawson and 57-year-old Trudy Rickerd, had worked at the Kroger store in Conway, Arkansas, for years before they were fired last spring for refusing to wear the aprons, NBC reported.
More from NBC:
<blockquote>The rainbow flag has long been used as a symbol of LGBTQ pride, displayed especially during Pride Month in June. Kroger, however, declined to confirm whether the symbol was intended for pride purposes, telling NBC News in an email that the company cannot comment on pending litigation.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, alleges Kroger violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title I of the Civil Rights Act of 1991 when it &#8220;refused to accommodate the religious beliefs of Lawson and Rickerd, and disciplined and terminated them because of their religious beliefs and in retaliation for requesting a religious accommodation.&#8221;</blockquote>
The womens’ lawsuit, according to NBC, says they each “believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible” and “hold a sincerely held religious belief that homosexuality is a sin.” Thus, “wearing the logo showed her advocacy of the [LGBTQ] community, which she could not do.”
The complaint also alleges that Kroger didn’t fire other employees who refused to wear the apron but did not say it was due to religious beliefs. The women are asking the grocery chain to reform its policies and pay the women for “emotional pain and suffering, humiliation, inconvenience, and loss of enjoyment of life,” as well as other damages.
The lawsuit is the latest in a long line of claims from Christians that they have been discriminated against for their faith. The most recent high-profile example is that of Grace Community Church Pastor John MacArthur, who refused to stop holding in-person faith services as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) pandemic lockdown order. As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pastor-john-macarthur-responds-to-californias-threats-of-imprisonment-bring-it-on">reported</a>, MacArthur now says he is willing to go to jail over the situation.
“We received a letter with a threat that we could be fined or I could go to jail for a maximum of six months,” MacArthur told Fox News host Laura Ingraham earlier this week. “Of course, my biblical hero apart from the Lord Jesus Christ is the apostle Paul, and when he went into a town, he didn’t ask what the hotel was like, he asked what the jail was like because he knew that’s where he was gonna spend his time. So I don’t mind being a little apostolic if they want to tuck me in a jail.”
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Kroger

Employees Sue Kroger After They Were Allegedly Fired For Refusing To Wear Rainbow Symbol, Citing Religious Objections

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Lawsuit

LGBTQ

Religion

Two former employees of the supermarket chain Kroger are suing after they say the store where they worked discriminated against them for their religious

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A former Oberlin College professor is suing after she says she was denied a tenure-track position based on her race, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, and marital status.
The Morning Journal <a href="https://www.morningjournal.com/news/lorain-county/oberlin-college-sued-by-former-professor/article_cfb8a150-eef0-11ea-bfad-4bd439033b2b.html">reported</a> that Alice Blumenfeld, a former visiting assistant professor of dance, filed the lawsuit alleging discrimination after she says Oberlin Dance Department Chair Ann Cooper Albright told her she couldn’t be hired because she was “another white woman from the Midwest with a husband.”
The statement allegedly occurred on July 7, 2019, when Blumenfeld was told to look for a position elsewhere.
“Ms. Albright, acting individually and in her capacity as chair of Oberlin’s Dance Department, effectively rejected Ms. Blumenfeld for the new tenure-track position, not because of her accomplishments, her skill, her experiences, her work ethic, or her individual and personal qualities, but instead, because of her race, the color of her skin, her sex, her sexual orientation, her national origin, and her ancestry,” Blumenfeld alleges in her lawsuit.
“While Ms. Blumenfeld was more qualified for the tenure-track position than the individual Oberlin hired, she failed to meet the identity-based qualifications that the defendants required, which included qualifications based upon race, skin color, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin and ancestry,” the lawsuit says.
Blumenfeld’s position was terminated on June 30, 2020, but was not hired for the tenure-track position. As the Journal reported, Blumenfeld filed a complaint with Oberlin’s director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Rebecca Mosely, requesting the matter be handled confidentially to avoid professional consequences.
Blumenfeld’s complaint led to an internal review by Oberlin, which unsurprisingly found that it had not discriminated against the former professor. The report did, however, suggest “three policy recommendations to improve hiring practices and the complaint process,” the Journal reported.
“The lawsuit names Oberlin College, Albright and Mosely as defendants, and seeks damages in excess of $25,000 for discrimination on race and color, discrimination based on sex and sexual orientation, discrimination based on national origin and ancestry, retaliation, and negligent hiring, retention and supervision,” the Journal reported.
Neither Oberlin nor Albright responded to the Journal’s requests for comment.
Oberlin is no stranger to racial controversy or lawsuits. In 2019, the college was ordered to pay tens of millions of dollars to the owners of a small bakery after college officials helped students protest the establishment, claiming racial discrimination. A member of the family that owns the bakery caught a non-white Oberlin student stealing wine and was attacked by the shoplifter and his friends. The student acknowledged he shoplifted, yet other Oberlin students harassed the business claiming the shoplifter was discriminated against. Oberlin officials attended the protests and attempted to stop the press from filming. Officials also passed out flyers claiming the bakery had a history of racism.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/worse-you-think-theres-more-oberlin-story-ashe-schow">reported</a>, internal emails from Oberlin administration officials revealed that behind the scenes, administrators trashed the bakery.
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Warming Up

Former Professor Sues After College Allegedly Told Her They Couldn’t ‘Hire Another White Woman From The Midwest With A Husband’

Education

Oberlin College

racial discrimination

A former Oberlin College professor is suing after she says she was denied a tenure-track position based on her race, ethnic origin, sexual orientation,

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On Thursday, restaurants in New York City filed a $2 billion class-action lawsuit against Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and New York Attorneys General to force them to permit indoor dining. “Over <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2020/9/1/21408660/300-restaurateurs-sue-nyc-over-indoor-dining-ban" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://ny.eater.com/2020/9/1/21408660/300-restaurateurs-sue-nyc-over-indoor-dining-ban" aria-label="350">350</a> restaurants have signed on to the $2 billion lawsuit,” <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielcassady/2020/09/03/nyc-restaurants-against-indoor-dining-ban-sue-cuomo-de-blasio-for-2-billion/#72fac1e14ab5">Forbes</a> noted.
“One restaurant in Queens argues customers can walk blocks away into Nassau County if they want to eat indoors. Il Bacco on Northern Boulevard says it is unfair that indoor dining is illegal in Little Neck, but legal just a few blocks east in Great Neck, on Long Island. In fact, New York City is the only city in the state that still does not allow some form of indoor dining,” <a href="https://abc7ny.com/6403987/">ABC 7</a> reported.
Joe Oppedisano, owner of Il Bacco, said, “Every restaurant is packed and me, a block and a half away, I can’t open. The restaurant can have customers on its rooftop, but not on the first two floors of the building. And winter is coming. The weather is warm now, but what happens two or three weeks from now? And then when it rains? I’m lucky I have a rooftop and I have a cover I can open and close, but once it gets cold, I can’t do that anymore,&#8221; Newsday <a href="https://www.newsday.com/business/coronavirus/nyc-restaurant-lawsuit-cuomo-deblasio-1.48797590">reported</a>.
On Monday, New Jersey <a href="https://gothamist.com/news/coronavirus-updates-august-31-2020">announced</a> it would permit indoor dining at 25% capacity starting Friday. Governor Phil Murphy stated, “Our goal is to ensure this step is done properly to prevent the kind of spikes we saw in other states that allowed their restaurants to reopen too fully and too quickly.”
Cuomo responded on Monday, &#8220;I am aware of that competitive disadvantage for NYC restaurants … I&#8217;m aware that restaurants in New York City are very unhappy with doing no indoor dining, I understand the economic consequences, their argument will now be exacerbated [because of NJ] and it&#8217;s something that we&#8217;re watching and considering. I want as much economic activity as quickly as possible, we also want to make sure transmission rate stays under control. That is the tension.&#8221;
On Monday, de Blasio <a href="https://gothamist.com/food/queens-restaurant-leads-2-billion-indoor-dining-lawsuit-against-ny">stated</a> at a press conference:
<blockquote>I do expect and pray for a vaccine in the spring that would allow us all to get more back to normal. But I will absolutely tell you that we&#8217;re going to keep looking for that situation where we can push down the virus enough that we would have more ability to address indoor dining. We&#8217;ll have more to say on that in the coming days, but it would take a huge step forward to get to that point, that&#8217;s the truth.</blockquote>
This is not the only recent class-action lawsuit targeting Cuomo for his policies regarding the coronavirus. <a href="https://gothamist.com/news/over-1500-gym-owners-sue-governor-cuomo-reopen">The Gothamist</a> reported in mid-August:
<blockquote>A group of over 1,500 gym owners from across the state, including at least 500 located in New York City, have filed a class action lawsuit against Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York state, and the state attorney general in an attempt to force the state to allow them to reopen. The businesses involved in the suit include CrossFit, Pilates studios, yoga centers and big box gyms. Attorney James G. Mermigis, who is representing the gyms.</blockquote>
“New York&#8217;s positivity rate is 0.99%, after conducting around 66,000 tests on Sunday. Hospitalizations fell to 418, and the number of patients in intensive care was 109—both new lows since mid-March,” The Gothamist pointed out.
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NY Governor Cuomo Holds Coronavirus Briefing At Northwell Feinstein Institute For Medical Research

Over 350 NY Restaurants Join Lawsuit Targeting Cuomo Over Indoor Dining

Andrew Cuomo

Bill de Blasio

restaurants

On Thursday, restaurants in New York City filed a $2 billion class-action lawsuit against Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and New

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Earlier this summer, Sonya Forte Duhé was preparing to start her new job at Arizona State University as dean of the school’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, but a tweet suggesting some cops were “good” and alleged microaggressions she made in her previous position, caused her to lose her job offer.
She’s now suing her previous employer, Loyola University New Orleans for refusing to let her return to her position as director of the School of Communication and Design, The College Fix <a href="https://www.thecollegefix.com/lawsuit-university-used-false-and-defamatory-accusations-to-get-rid-of-tenured-professor/">reported</a>, alleging the school has no “cause” to keep her from returning to her previous position.
“The five-page complaint implies that Loyola is using ‘false and defamatory accusations’ to violate her contract, which remains in force because Loyola allegedly never ‘accepted’ her resignation,” the Fix reported.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/university-rescinds-job-offer-from-incoming-journalism-dean-for-calling-some-cops-good-and-alleged-microaggressions">reported</a>, Duhé came under fire after posting a now-deleted tweet that said, “for the family of George Floyd, the good police officers who keep us safe, my students, faculty and staff. Praying for peace on this #BlackOutTuesday.” This opened the floodgates for students to complain about her alleged behavior:
<blockquote>One former student, Whitney Woods, responded to Duhé’s tweet by claiming there was “no way in hell that black lives matter to you.” Woods added, “You are one of, if not, THE most racist human that I have ever encountered in a professional setting.” Woods <a href="https://www.statepress.com/article/2020/06/spcommunity-incoming-cronkite-dean-has-alleged-history-of-racist-homophobic-comments-toward-students">told</a> The State Press that Duhé openly liked conservative news outlets and allegedly told Woods that her hair was messy but she didn’t know the student was black because she didn’t act black.
“Not once was she, or did I ever feel like, she was a genuine POC ally,” Woods told the outlet. “She never advocated for any students of color, not a single one. She never took any of them under her wing. She never mentored them. And to have her be a dean of students in our current climate in 2020 would be a disservice to their education.”
Another student, Andrew Ketcham, who didn’t complete his degree at Duhé’s former employer, Loyola University New Orleans, because he lost his grant, claimed Duhé criticized his voice, implying it was because he was gay. “I’ll never forget her advice to me that my voice was too theatrical and that I should stick with print,” Ketcham told the Press. Ketcham also said he remembered Woods telling people about what she claimed Duhé said about her appearance.
Edward Wroten, another student, claimed Duhé would compare black and white students and suggest students of color change their looks and the way they spoke.
Zinsule Bonner told the outlet that her friend, Wroten, didn’t feel he could be himself around Duhé and that the professor would yell and make inappropriate coments. Bonner alleged that Duhé told a student to have their mole removed for television and black students not to have “natural hair.”
Hannah Gomez Farias told the outlet that she failed a presentation in Duhé’s class for not being presentable enough. Gomez Farias claimed Duhé said she “was too tan,” and didn’t wear makeup for the presentation, saying that if your hair wasn’t straight you would lose points in Duhé’s class.</blockquote>
Twenty-three students complained to the media about Duhé’s alleged behavior. In 2019, a student actually lodged a bias complaint against her with Loyola, though it is unclear what happened, as the university only reported that “appropriate action had been taken.” Duhé defended herself at the time by saying to “accuse me of telling students of African American descent that I said to have their hair not natural is just ludicrous.”
“I do expect students to follow all professional standards of the news industry,” Duhé wrote in the report, according to the Press. “I do require my students to have professional photographs on their digital portfolios which includes appropriate attire and grooming. That is the professional standard of the news industry and one I adhere to as a journalism professor who has years of experience in the television news industry and a standard I uphold as director of our school.”
Loyola President Tania Tetlow previously apologized for the “deep pain” some students said they felt due to Duhé, but suggested she may have been trying to give practical advice, even if the delivery was poor.
As the Fix reported, Loyola hasn’t given a practical reason for not allowing Duhé to return to her position, and Duhé’s lawsuit does not explain why she is being refused her old job.
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College student

Professor Sues University After Refusal To Reinstate Her After Accusations Of ‘Microaggressions’

Microaggressions

Earlier this summer, Sonya Forte Duhé was preparing to start her new job at Arizona State University as dean of the school’s Walter Cronkite School of

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A group of California parents has filed a lawsuit in an attempt to challenge Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s one-size-fits-all approach to reopening schools in counties being monitored for coronavirus progress.
The parents, coordinating with the Dhillon Law Group, <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2020/08/26/under-gov-newsoms-rules-school-has-become-netflix-and-disney-plus-parents-are-taking-legal-action/">told</a> The Federalist (where I also have a byline) the struggles associated with getting their children an education when those students aren’t allowed to attend in-person classes. The U.S. Constitution does not guarantee the right to an education, but the California Constitution does, according to The Federalist. But the type of education children are getting in 80% of California schools is not making parents feel secure.
More than 1,000 districts, which include 10,500 schools and about 6.1 million students, fall under the state monitoring list and are banned from in-person classes.
“A one-size-fits-all solution is not the correct approach,” one of the plaintiffs, a father in south Orange County, told The Federalist. “We really need to have these decisions at the district level because there are nearly 30 school districts in Orange County and they all have vastly different demographics, different population densities, different case numbers, and so for the governor to take this away from the local districts really doesn’t make sense.”
Another plaintiff, a registered Democrat and mother of a daughter starting transitional kindergarten, asked the outlet how Newsom “thinks he knows what’s best for more than 40 million people?”
“While Gov. Cuomo has made his share of mistakes dealing with the coronavirus, at least he recognizes that with a decision this important, there has to be meaningful input from the parents and local districts at the ground level,” she added.
The Orange County father, whose son finished kindergarten under coronavirus lockdown and is beginning first grade now, also said he and his wife were “really worried about the long-term, lifelong negative effects this might have on [our son] if schools remain closed.”
“It’s just going to be so difficult on him at such a young age because social skills are so important to develop at that age. And distance learning for a six-year-old is just nonsense,” he added.
Another father who is a plaintiff in the lawsuit spoke of the different hardships his son, who is entering his senior year of high school, faced.
“We don’t even know where to begin. Schools closed before he could take the SAT last spring,” the father said.
“We don’t even know what colleges we’re going to be looking at in the fall,” he continued. “It makes it very stressful as we’re trying to help him make decisions that will influence the rest of his life when there are no answers, and there isn’t even a timeline of when there will be answers.”
The father also has a younger daughter entering eighth grade who misses the social aspect of school.
“How do you have that connection with somebody who is on the other side of the monitor?” he said. “As a dad, you become her friend group as well.”
Yet another parent, a mother, said teachers weren’t even grading by the end of the previous school year.
“They just wanted the assignments turned in, so even if my son, who was so unmotivated like all the other seniors, turned it in like weeks later, it was still counted as 100 percent,” she said. “All the parents are talking about how their kids are unmotivated, sleeping the entire day, logging onto school around 3 or 4 [p.m.] when they woke up.”

Child working on an Invention

No Grading, No Socialization, No Structure; California Parents Sue Over Education Concerns Amid Coronavirus Lockdown

California

Gavin Newsom

A group of California parents has filed a lawsuit in an attempt to challenge Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s one-size-fits-all approach to reopening

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As soon as the U.S. Department of Education revealed its final guidelines on how colleges and universities should adjudicate allegations of sexual assault, Democrats kicked into high gear to try and stop the rules from going into effect.
At issue is the fact that the new rules require schools to provide accused students some basic due process rights – like the specific allegations against them, the ability to cross-examine the evidence and witnesses against them, and access to the evidence against them prior to the hearing – which modern activists claim hurt victims. These same activists, including prominent Democrats such as presumptive 2020 nominee Joe Biden, claim we must “believe women” – except those who accuse Democrats.
When Education Secretary Betsy DeVos revealed the final rules in May, the attorneys general in numerous Blue States filed a lawsuit against the Department in an attempt to block the new rules from being implemented in the hopes that Biden wins the election and will stop the rules altogether. Should this happen, colleges and universities will continue to deny accused students constitutional due process rights, destroying futures and inviting hundreds more lawsuits.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/blue-state-ags-want-to-limit-college-students-due-process-rights-red-state-ags-are-fighting-back">reported</a>, Red State attorneys general filed their own brief defending the new regulations. The new rule, the AGs wrote, “requires educational institutions to investigate and, where proved, punish allegations of sufficiently severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive sexual harassment. It also provides a needed framework, consistent with long-standing Supreme Court precedent, that protects the foundational constitutional rights of due process and speech.”
Last week, a federal judge in New York denied a move by state school boards who tried to block the new rules. U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl wrote that the new rules don’t harm accusers.
“Rather than harming students, the Rule has the potential to benefit both complainants and respondents by providing procedural guidance for grievance procedures,” Koeltl wrote. “This process helps not only respondents but also complainants who are given greater assurance that if they prevail in the grievance proceeding, that result will not be overturned because the process did not comply with due process.”
The new rules still face other lawsuits – including the one from Blue State AGs – attempting to block them in the hopes Biden will drop them outright when he takes office. Koeltl’s decision, however, may inform other judge’s deciding such cases.
On August 10, legal researcher Jake G. <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeHigherEdLaw/status/1292953299692527619">tweeted</a> that the Education Department requested a 15-day extension to file their response to the AG’s lawsuit. The extension would move the due date from August 14 to August 30, but would not affect the date the new rules would take effect, which would still be August 14. As Jake explained, “the only foreseeable scenario where the August 14th effective date would be pushed back is if the DC court handling the AG v [DeVos] case issued the requested Preliminary Injunction.”
The AGs argued that schools did not have time to implement and comply with the new rules due to the coronavirus pandemic, yet numerous colleges and universities, including some Ivy League schools, have announced they had updated their rules in time despite the outbreak.
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Scales Of Justice

Democrat Efforts To Delay Education Rules Requiring Due Process For Accused Students Are Failing

Betsy DeVos

Sexual Assault

Title IX

As soon as the U.S. Department of Education revealed its final guidelines on how colleges and universities should adjudicate allegations of sexual

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One aspect that is often overlooked in matters of campus sexual assault is the prevalence of white women accusing black men. As America battles with allegations of systemic racism, somehow these campus cases are ignored, even though the men involved receive almost no due process to defend themselves.
A recent example of this comes from Purdue University, which recently settled with a black football player who had been accused of sexual assault and denied an opportunity to defend himself. The student will be referred to as John.
John filed a lawsuit against Purdue in early 2019, two years after he was expelled from the university after an adjudication process that he says didn’t even follow the school’s outlined policies. Further, John argued racial and gender bias played a role in his expulsion.
The allegations stem from an encounter that began the evening of October 13, 2016. John and two of his football teammates were hanging out at an off-campus house watching television. John, in his lawsuit, said he considered the two other football players friends even though he didn’t know that much about them and had only known them for two months.
Three white women, who will be referred to as Jane, Rachel, and Diana, joined the three football players later that evening. The three women were friends with John’s teammates. John says he did not know any of the three women prior to that night.
As the six individuals began discussing their plans for the evening, John alleges the women said they were looking to drink alcohol that night. Jane and Rachel, John alleges in his lawsuit, “informed the gathering that they were interested in having sexual intercourse with one or more of the male individuals present.” The women specifically mentioned interest in a “threesome” or intercourse with multiple partners. John alleges that Jane and Rachel were “extremely forward with their comments regarding sexual intercourse,” openly declaring their interest.
The three women eventually left the house to attend a party elsewhere. The three football players stayed behind. Jane and Rachel would later say they drank wine and liqueur at the party. The two women sent text messages to John’s friends continuing to say they wanted to have sex with them, mentioning the word “threesome.” Jane “specifically requested permission to return to the off campus house to engage in sexual activity with multiple partners,” John says in his lawsuit.
The lawsuit states that a witness saw Jane “making sexual advances” on someone at the party before she and her friends returned to the house where John and his friends were watching television.
Shortly after the three women returned to the off-campus house, Diana left, leaving Jane and Rachel with the three football players. John’s lawsuit alleges that after Diana left, Jane sat on one of the football player’s laps and again stated her intent for a threesome. Jane, according to John’s lawsuit, made this statement in front of all five students who were present. Later, after the sexual assault allegations were made, all remaining witnesses stated that Jane made such a comment and Jane did not deny it, according to John’s lawsuit.
One of John’s friends and the two women then entered one of the bedrooms at the house while John and his other friend kept watching television. At some point, the football player who had entered the bedroom with the women returned and told John that Jane wanted to have sex with him. John entered the bedroom to find Jane and Rachel sitting on the bed. Jane, according to the lawsuit, “immediately” approached John and said, “come here,” before pulling down his shorts and underwear. She began performing oral sex on John, according to his lawsuit.
During this time, Rachel and one of John’s friends engaged in sexual activity. The two women, according to the lawsuit, made comments that they were enjoying themselves and that “this is the best thing we’ve ever done.”
After John ejaculated from the oral sex, he says, Jane took off her pants and underwear and told him to have sex with her. John wrote in his lawsuit that he “had become uneasy and did not wish to further engage in any sexual contact” with either of the women, so he left the room to clean himself and return to the main room to watch television. After he left, he alleges, the two women had sexual intercourse with his friend.
John’s other friend eventually entered the bedroom to engage in some kind of sexual activity with the women. John says he did not return to the bedroom.
At some point, everyone returned to the main room and talked about the events of that evening, with the women allegedly claiming it was a “sorority goal” and again saying it was “the best thing we have ever done.” At that time, John alleges, neither woman expressed any concern about the group sex.
The next day, however, on October 14, 2016, both women contacted the West Lafayette Police Department to claim they had been sexually assaulted. During her interview, according to John’s lawsuit, Jane told a detective that she was not intoxicated and was capable of giving consent. She also stated she consented to sex with men at the house but said she did not consent to all of the sexual contact. She did not elaborate on which sexual contact to which she did not consent. Rachel’s statement to the police was similar, according to the lawsuit.
Jane even stated to police that she had talked about having group sex and voluntarily engaged in it.
John was contacted later that day by the detective to give a statement. He explained what happened and the detective said the women gave similar statements. The detective allegedly told John he had “nothing to worry about.” The detective presented the information he had to the Tippecanoe County Prosecutor’s office, which declined to charge any of the men involved.
Four days later, however, on October 18, 2016, John received a letter from Purdue’s dean of students informing him he had been accused of sexually assaulting Jane. John was informed that he would be immediately suspended from Purdue. John denied the allegations against him and requested an appeal of his interim suspension. On October 26, John met with the dean of students to appeal his suspension, which was granted.
On November 4, John attended a meeting with two investigators for the school who, according to John’s lawsuit, “had no relevant experience in investigating allegations of this nature nor had they received adequate training on the due process rights of the accused.” At both meetings with Purdue officials, John was told he could bring a “support person” but that the person could not speak on his behalf.
The investigators told John they were still investigating and would issue a final investigative report within two weeks. Two weeks later, however, the investigation was granted an extension without explanation. At least two more extensions were granted without explanation. It wasn’t until February 8, 2017, that John was told a hearing would be held the following week. Again, John was told he could bring a “support person” but told that person was forbidden from acting as “legal counsel.” John was also told he could not present any evidence at the hearing.
On February 28, 2017, John was informed he was found responsible for sexual assault. He was told the dean of students found Jane “more credible,” but did not explain why. John alleges in his lawsuit that he was not allowed to present any evidence that would undermine Jane’s credibility. John was expelled but appealed. His appeal, however, could not contain new evidence and had to rely only on the evidence presented in the school’s investigative report, which was so heavily redacted “as to render the document nearly illegible,” John’s lawsuit says. John was also not allowed to review transcripts of interviews or anything else that informed the report.
John’s lawsuit says that he “submitted a written appeal on March 9, 2019 alleging that the evidence in the report did not support the committee’s findings, that his expulsion was grossly disproportionate to the allegations against him, and that the University had failed to follow its own policies and procedures, noting that the Final Determination letter was required to be issued 10 days after the committee hearing, but was in fact issued 13 days after the hearing.”
John’s appeal was denied, with Purdue officials claiming the numerous delays in the adjudication was not prejudicial. The denial also referenced evidence that John had never been able to see, like recording of police interviews.
John was expelled, removed from the football team, and lost his scholarship. John couldn’t even join another football team because Purdue refused to release him.
So, John sued, and on July 17, 2020, Purdue filed a notice of settlement to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. The details of the settlement are not public, but students in similar situations have received monetary payments that range from a few thousand dollars to nearly one million dollars. Most public settlements have resulted in the disciplinary charges being overturned and removed from the student’s record.
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Male and female arms of different colours

Two White Women Allegedly Propositioned Three Black Football Players For Sex, Then Accused Them Of Sexual Assault. The School Just Settled With One Player.

One aspect that is often overlooked in matters of campus sexual assault is the prevalence of white women accusing black men. As America battles with

Two White Women Allegedly Propositioned Three Black Football Players For Sex, Then Accused Them Of Sexual Assault. The School Just Settled With One Player. | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-white-women-allegedly-propositioned-three-black-football-players-for-sex-then-accused-them-of-sexual-assault-the-school-just-settled-with-one-player/

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On Monday, reports surfaced of a lawsuit targeting various luminaries at Fox News on sexual harassment accusations, including Fox News’ Tucker Carlson. The lawsuit claims that Cathy Areu, one of the accusers, “was a guest on Carlson’s show in December 2018 and that after it was over, he told her he was staying in a hotel room in New York that night without his wife and children,” according to the <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2020/7/20/21332150/sean-hannity-tucker-carlson-sexual-harassment-lawsuit-fox-news-howard-kurtz-jennifer-eckhart">Chicago Sun-Times</a>, which added, “In the cases of Carlson and (Howard) Kurtz, Areu believed the men were making sexual advances, the lawsuit said.”
Fox News stated that they had asked an outside law firm to investigate, and based on their report, found Areu’s claims “false, patently frivolous and utterly devoid of any merit.”
On Tuesday, this tweet surfaced from October 23, 2019, well after the reputed incident that Areu claimed occurred in December 2018:
<div class="image"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-130843" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Carlson-1-1-410x576.jpg" alt="" width="410" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/07/Carlson-1-1-410x576.jpg 410w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/07/Carlson-1-1-214x300.jpg 214w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/07/Carlson-1-1.jpg 590w" sizes="(max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px" /></div>
<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-130844" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Carlson-2-767x576.jpg" alt="" width="767" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/07/Carlson-2-767x576.jpg 767w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/07/Carlson-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/07/Carlson-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/07/Carlson-2.jpg 906w" sizes="(max-width: 767px) 100vw, 767px" />The <a href="https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/ed-henry-complaint-stamped.pdf">lawsuit</a> starts by claiming, “It is widely documented in the public record that Fox News has not only cultivated and fostered sexual harassment and misconduct, but has consistently accepted and rewarded it. Nevertheless, Fox News would have the public believe that it is a different place from the Fox News that was run by former disgraced Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes. Unfortunately, it is actually worse.”
The lawsuit&#8217;s claim against Carlson reads:
<blockquote>In 2017 and 2018, Ms. Areu appeared on a very frequent basis on Tucker Carlson Tonight (17 times, at least, in 2018 alone). Ms. Areu’s final 2018 appearance on the show was in December 2018. That show was filmed live in New York City and Mr. Carlson was in New York City at the studio.
After Ms. Areu’s segment was completed, one of Mr. Carlson’s producers or writers whispered in Ms. Areu’s ear, while she was on set trying to get out of the chair, and told her that Mr. Carlson wanted her to stay until the very end of the show to chat with him. Ms. Areu had no choice but to comply with Mr. Carlson’s request due to the fact that she was on live television while tied to her chair with a microphone on her that was attached to the chair. Ms. Areu was also wearing an earpiece that the tech crew refused to take off.
Mr. Carlson’s tech crew refused to undo Ms. Areu’s equipment on set therefore she could not leave the chair or studio. Following the show, Mr. Carlson changed on set into his leather jacket for the annual Christmas party that he told Ms. Areu he would only be attending for approximately 10 minutes to, “make a quick appearance.”
Following the show, Mr. Carlson, hardly making any effort to hide his intentions, began telling Ms. Areu that he would be alone in New York City that night, and specifically said that he would be staying alone in his hotel room without any wife or kids. Without question, Mr. Carlson was probing to see whether Ms. Areu was interested in a sexual relationship. Ms. Areu awkwardly sidestepped Mr. Carlson’s advances and declined to spend the night at his hotel. Mr. Carlson promptly retaliated against Ms. Areu, who was featured on his show only three times in 2019 and has not appeared once in 2020.</blockquote>
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Catalina Magazine Afternoon Tea with Ricardo Antonio Chavira

Tucker Accuser Tweeted ‘TC Has Always Been Polite To Me’

Fox News

Sexual Harassment

Tucker Carlson

On Monday, reports surfaced of a lawsuit targeting various luminaries at Fox News on sexual harassment accusations, including Fox News’ Tucker Carlson.

Tucker Accuser Tweeted ‘TC Has Always Been Polite To Me’ | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/tucker-accuser-tweeted-tc-has-always-been-polite-to-me/

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Multiple residents in Texas filed lawsuits against various pro-abortion groups that had previously filed defamation claims against pro-life activists.
Eight different lawsuits were filed against various abortion-supporting groups including the Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equity, the Texas Equal Access Fund, and the Afiya Center. The lawsuits can be found on the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn (SCU) organization’s <a href="https://sanctuarycitiesfortheunborn.org/lawsuits-filed?fbclid=IwAR3o27m2S8mt4A0uIjx7356OF8ugdSWs9Z89bR7SwRpKjIAbmUVuKgDyUBw">website</a>. The site is dedicated to the East Texas towns that have all but outlawed abortion.
The named organizations are alleged to have stifled pro-life speech with their defamation lawsuits, even though abortion “remains a criminal offense under Texas law,” SCU said in a press release. The abortion groups being sued previously filed lawsuits against pro-life activist Mark Lee Dickson and Right to Life of East Texas after they used the word “criminal” to describe abortions.
Erick Kaardal, one of several attorneys representing the individuals who have filed the lawsuits against the abortion groups, explained in the press release that Roe v. Wade did not wipe out abortion laws, as some assume.
“It is often assumed that the Supreme Court’s judgment in Roe v. Wade somehow cancelled or formally revoked the Texas statutes that outlaw abortion unless the mother’s life is in danger. But the federal judiciary has no power to erase a statute that it declares to be unconstitutional. Roe v. Wade merely limits the ability of state officials to enforce the State’s abortion statutes against those who violate them. But Roe v. Wade does not veto or repeal the statutes themselves, and the State’s criminal prohibitions on abortion continue to exist as the law of Texas until they are repealed by the legislature that enacted them,” Kaardal said.
“The State’s temporary inability to prosecute or punish those who violate its abortion laws on account of Roe does not change the fact that abortion is still defined as a criminal offense under Texas law,” he continued. “So it is entirely truthful for individuals to describe abortion as ‘criminal,’ and they cannot be subjected to defamation lawsuits for describing abortion providers and abortion-assistance organizations as ‘criminal’ entities.”
More from the press release:
<blockquote>The plaintiffs include citizens of Texas from as far west as Levelland to as far east as Carthage, and the lawsuits were filed in the district courts of <a href="https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/76a46499-1c7d-4cf1-9747-a763a30f7232/downloads/Gentry%20v.%20Lilith%20Fund%20Petition%20(FINAL).pdf?ver=1594882596673">Eastland</a>, <a href="https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/76a46499-1c7d-4cf1-9747-a763a30f7232/downloads/Stephens%20v.%20Lilith%20Fund%20Petition%20(FINAL).pdf?ver=1594882596674">Franklin</a>, <a href="https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/76a46499-1c7d-4cf1-9747-a763a30f7232/downloads/Morris%20v.%20Lilith%20Fund%20Petition%20(FINAL).pdf?ver=1594882596674">Hockley</a>, <a href="https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/76a46499-1c7d-4cf1-9747-a763a30f7232/downloads/Maxwell%20v.%20Lilith%20Fund%20Petition%20(FINAL).pdf?ver=1594882596674">Hood</a>, <a href="https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/76a46499-1c7d-4cf1-9747-a763a30f7232/downloads/Moore%20v.%20Lilith%20Fund%20Petition%20(FINAL).pdf?ver=1594882596674">Panola</a>, <a href="https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/76a46499-1c7d-4cf1-9747-a763a30f7232/downloads/Blackwell%20v.%20Lilith%20Fund%20Petition%20(FINAL).pdf?ver=1594882596673">Rusk</a>, <a href="https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/76a46499-1c7d-4cf1-9747-a763a30f7232/downloads/Enge%20v.%20Lilith%20Fund%20Petition%20(FINAL).pdf?ver=1594882596674">Smith</a>, and <a href="https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/76a46499-1c7d-4cf1-9747-a763a30f7232/downloads/Byrn%20v.%20Lilith%20Fund%20Petition%20(FINAL).pdf?ver=1594882596674">Taylor</a> counties.
Each of the plaintiffs is represented by Thomas Brejcha and Martin Whittaker of the Thomas More Society; Erick G. Kaardal of Mohrman, Kaardal &amp; Erickson, P.A.; Jonathan F. Mitchell (former Solicitor General of the State of Texas); State Senator Bryan Hughes (Texas Senator &#8211; SD 1); and H. Dustin Fillmore III and Charles W. Fillmore of The Fillmore Firm in Fort Worth, Texas.</blockquote>
The American Civil Liberties Union previously sued seven towns in Texas that had declared themselves sanctuary cities for the unborn. The cities amended their ordinances to remove the word “criminal” in relation to organizations that help women get abortions, and the ACLU withdrew its lawsuit, The Texan <a href="https://thetexan.news/aclu-withdraws-lawsuit-against-texas-sanctuary-cities-for-the-unborn/">reported</a>.
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Baby

Texas Residents Files Lawsuits Against Pro-Abortion Groups That Filed Defamation Claims Against Pro-Life Activists

Abortion

pro-life

Multiple residents in Texas filed lawsuits against various pro-abortion groups that had previously filed defamation claims against pro-life activists.

Texas Residents Files Lawsuits Against Pro-Abortion Groups That Filed Defamation Claims Against Pro-Life Activists | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-resident-files-lawsuits-against-pro-abortion-groups-that-filed-defamation-claims-against-pro-life-activists/

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A male Coker University student is suing after he was arrested and temporarily suspended from the school after what he says was a false accusation of sexual assault.
The student, Cesar Lopez, filed a lawsuit against the city of Hartsville, South Carolina, the Hartsville police department, and three officers back on April 28. The next day, he filed a lawsuit against the university and multiple individuals. The case was dismissed by Lopez’s attorneys who then filed an amended complaint at the end of June, SC Now <a href="https://www.scnow.com/news/local/former-student-sues-coker-university-hartsville-over-alleged-false-rape-accusation/article_79b78cad-8b59-538e-bace-875528e1c756.amp.html?__twitter_impression=true">reported</a>.
The lawsuit stems from an incident between Lopez and a female student named Lauren Pearson. The two students had a sexual encounter around 4:30 a.m. on April 29, 2018, in a residence hall bathroom. The amended complaint, according to SC Now, says Pearson left the encounter to laugh and joke with her friends. She claimed to police that she ran from the bathroom and quickly left the residence hall.
Pearson told two law enforcement officials at 6:40 a.m. that she had been raped. Lopez’s lawsuit alleges inconsistencies in Pearson’s claim. She allegedly told an officer that she ran from the bathroom before Lopez. The complaint alleges Pearson told her friends that Lopez left first.
Lopez says he was then warrantlessly arrested by Hartsville police – before the case was even assigned to a detective or any investigation took place. Lopez alleges a warrant for his arrest was issued later that morning and charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping.
“First-degree criminal sexual conduct is a felony. Conviction of the crime carries a penalty of not more than 30 years in prison. Kidnapping is also a felony. It also carries a penalty of not more than 30 years in prison if a person is convicted of the crime,” SC Now reported.
Lopez says in his lawsuit that he was kicked off the Coker soccer team and withdrawn from the university. He would have to re-apply to the university even if the charges were dismissed.
The former Coker student also said in his complaint against the city that Pearson didn’t respond to police requests for two days before taking a polygraph test on May 2. On May 4, she was arrested and charged with filing a false police report.
Lopez posted a $100,000 bond on May 2 to get out of jail. His family hired an attorney who discovered witnesses saw Lopez and Pearson “making out” the night of the alleged rape. The attorney also discovered Pearson had accused two others of sexual assault the previous semester.
As SC Now reported, Pearson was allegedly dating a student referred to only as A.E. in the fall of 2017. A.E. broke up with her and Pearson began seeing another student. She would later tell A.E. that the other student raped her. A.E. allegedly confronted the other man and discovered Pearson had lied. She later allegedly sent a message to A.E. admitting she lied. She and A.E. got back together, but when he ended their relationship a second time, she accused him of raping her.
A.E., according to Lopez’s amended complaint, was given a no-contact order and his claims of a false accusation were not investigated by Coker, even though the university has a policy to investigate such claims.
Lopez alleges he informed a police officer about Pearson’s previous false accusations but that they were ignored prior to the student’s arrest. Pearson was arrested for filing a false report but was released on a $10,000 surety bond, SC Now reported.
“Filing a false police report accusing someone else of a felony is a felony and carries a penalty of not more than five years in prison and not more than a $1,000 fine, or both,” the outlet reported.
Lope was reinstated to Coker but is still suing, alleging his reinstatement took place two days after the university learned the allegations were false. He was subsequently found not responsible in a university Title IX hearing a week later and returned to the soccer team.
Coker sought to dismiss the lawsuit in part because it provided Lopez additional time to study for his final exams after he was released from jail.
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Woman in handcuffs

She Claimed He Raped Her And He Was Arrested. She Was Soon Charged With Filing A False Police Report.

false accusations

Rape

A male Coker University student is suing after he was arrested and temporarily suspended from the school after what he says was a false accusation of

She Claimed He Raped Her And He Was Arrested. She Was Soon Charged With Filing A False Police Report. | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/she-claimed-he-raped-her-and-he-was-arrested-she-was-soon-charged-with-filing-a-false-police-report/

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A police officer sued one of her coworkers alleging he sexually assaulted her by smacking her on the butt with an open hand back in 2016. The accused officer was suspended for five days and quit while being investigated.
Last week, the female officer’s lawsuit was dismissed and the city ordered her to pay the accused officer’s legal fees, CBS Chicago <a href="https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/06/11/city-of-hammond-sends-officer-bill-for-legal-fees-after-she-loses-sexual-assault-suit-against-another-officer/">reported</a>.
The accuser, Denise Szany, claimed a fellow officer “assaulted her by grabbing her by her vest, then her belt and then by physically harming her,” according to <a href="https://casetext.com/case/szany-v-city-of-hammond-3">court documents</a>. Szany also claimed that during this same altercation is when the fellow officer, who has not been charged with a crime, smacked her on the butt.
Szany originally filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which granted her the right to sue. She filed her lawsuit in February 2017.
Szany alleged in her lawsuit that about a year after she filed it she was retaliated against by the City of Hammond, Illinois. She claimed the city knew about her lawsuit and assigned her to use the same police car as the man she accused, claiming this action put her &#8220;in a dangerous situation as well as contributed to the then ongoing pervasive hostile work environment.&#8221;
As District Court Judge Philip Simon noted, the Hammond Police Department has 200 officers and just fourteen marked cars, so officers on different shifts use the same cars. Szany, however, argued that “she was terrified” to use the same car as the officer she accused because she thought he would harass or assault her again.
“But there is no allegation that as a result of the car assignments that [the accused] and Szany were ever assigned to use the car at the same time, that they interacted with one another as a result, or that [the accused] actually did anything untoward or inappropriate to Szany during this time. After three months of this assignment system, Szany&#8217;s counsel wrote a letter and from then on Szany was no longer assigned to the same car as [the accused],” Simon wrote in September 2019.
“Here, Szany alleges only speculation that she was going to be harmed or harassed because of the car assignment system. But that is not a material adverse employment action. Notice pleading doesn&#8217;t require much, but it certainly requires more than the subjective fear of unrealized harm that Szany has offered,” Simon added.
At that time, Simon dismissed Count VII of Szany’s lawsuit, with prejudice, meaning she cannot appeal the dismissal.
Szany’s attorney now argues that since she is being ordered to pay legal fees after losing her lawsuit, she is being retaliated against yet again. Her attorney said she would appeal the decision, CBS Chicago reported.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Policewoman and partner

She Sued A Police Officer Alleging Sexual Assault And Lost. Now She’s Being Ordered To Pay His Legal Fees.

Police

A police officer sued one of her coworkers alleging he sexually assaulted her by smacking her on the butt with an open hand back in 2016. The accused

She Sued A Police Officer Alleging Sexual Assault And Lost. Now She’s Being Ordered To Pay His Legal Fees. | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/she-sued-a-police-officer-alleging-sexual-assault-and-lost-now-shes-being-ordered-to-pay-his-legal-fees/

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America’s sweetheart, Reese Witherspoon, isn’t known for controversies, so it was surprising to learn that she and her clothing company, Draper James, are being sued for misleading our nation’s teachers.
In April, the 44-year-old “Little Fires Everywhere” actress announced she was offering a free dress for teachers around the country struggling during the coronavirus pandemic, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/reese-witherspoon-clothing-company-sued-teachers-dress-giveaway-coronavirus">reported</a>. Witherspoon quickly found herself on the receiving end of a backlash when teachers realized she was only giving away a very limited number of dresses.
Now she’s being hit with a class-action lawsuit from three women who claim she benefited from the giveaway even though teachers did not, TMZ <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2020/06/08/reese-witherspoon-sued-draper-james-dress-giveaway-teachers/">reported</a>.
The clothing company made their offer on Instagram, writing “Dear Teachers: We want to say thank you. During quarantine we see you working harder than ever to educate our children. To show our gratitude, Draper James would like to give teachers a free dress.&#8221;
“To apply, complete the form at the link in bio before this Sunday, April 5th, 11:59 PM ET. (Offer valid while supplies last &#8211; winners will be notified on Tuesday, April 7th,)” the post continued.
The offer clearly stated that it was only valid “while supplies last,” but the lawsuit states that it wasn’t clear there were only 250 dresses available in the giveaway. Meanwhile, teachers were required to provide personal information to enter the giveaway, including their education employment ID info.
“The women suing point out that the total cost of the 250 dresses to be given away would only come out to an ‘estimated paltry $12,500 in actual cost’ to Reese and her company &#8230; ‘at a time when other individuals of [Reese] Witherspoon&#8217;s renown were offering millions of dollars to COVID-19 victims,’&#8221; TMZ reported.
The lawsuit also alleged that Witherspoon benefitted from increased publicity due to the miniscule giveaway with mentions on “Today” and “Good Morning America.”
Theane Evangelis, attorney for Draper James, told TMZ that the lawsuit was frivolous.
&#8220;Draper James looks forward to defending this case, to continuing its efforts to acknowledge the extraordinary contributions made by teachers during this time of need, and to being vindicated in court.&#8221;
&#8220;Draper James looks forward to defending this case, to continuing its efforts to acknowledge the extraordinary contributions made by teachers during this time of need, and to being vindicated in court,&#8221; she continued.
Marissa Cooley, Draper James’ senior vice president for marketing and creative departments, previously <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/15/fashion/reese-witherspoon-draper-james-coronavirus.html">discussed</a> the shortage of dresses with The New York Times.
&#8220;We felt like we moved too quickly and didn&#8217;t anticipate the volume of the response. We were really overwhelmed. It was way more volume than the company had ever seen. We expected the single-digit thousands,&#8221; she told the outlet.
The Times also reported that the application form “crashed” almost immediately and that nearly 1 million applications were received, meaning teachers had a tiny chance of actually receiving a dress.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon And Her Clothing Company Are Being Sued By Teachers For A Misleading Giveaway

Coronavirus

America’s sweetheart, Reese Witherspoon, isn’t known for controversies, so it was surprising to learn that she and her clothing company, Draper James, are

Reese Witherspoon And Her Clothing Company Are Being Sued By Teachers For A Misleading Giveaway | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/reese-witherspoon-and-her-clothing-company-are-being-sued-by-teachers-for-a-misleading-giveaway/

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The woman accused of procuring underage women for deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein won’t have to submit to questioning as part of a civil suit alleging she participated in the sexual battery of a teen girl.
ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/court-agrees-delay-testimony-jeffrey-epstein-confidant-ghislaine/story?id=70843577">reported</a> that Ghislaine Maxwell’s attorneys requested her questioning be postponed “because of an ongoing federal criminal investigation into Epstein&#8217;s alleged co-conspirators and because a victims&#8217; compensation fund proposed by Epstein&#8217;s estate is said to be nearing final approval.”
&#8220;I&#8217;m permitting her not to respond to [written questions] and not to have her deposition,&#8221; Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman said in her ruling. &#8220;Not forever, but at least long enough to let us know whether the claims process is likely to go forward.&#8221;
The civil suit against Maxwell came from one of Epstein’s alleged victims, Annie Farmer, who said she was “recruited and groomed by Epstein and Maxwell in 1996, and that Maxwell sexually assaulted her at Epstein&#8217;s New Mexico ranch when Farmer was 16,” ABC reported.
&#8220;Annie was extremely distressed and afraid. She was a child in a massive ranch in New Mexico, away from her family in Arizona, and isolated from any source of help. She was alone with Epstein and Maxwell,&#8221; Farmer&#8217;s lawsuit said.
Farmer’s attorney, according to ABC, argued against the delay because it was uncertain how long the criminal investigation would take.
&#8220;We have no indication of any time frame with respect to &#8230; how long that investigation could go on,&#8221; said attorney Sigrid McCawley, who represents Farmer and four other women suing Epstein’s estate. &#8220;And to not be able to get discovery and ask Miss Maxwell questions &#8230; that puts us in handcuffs with respect to being able to establish our claims.&#8221;
Magistrate Freeman addressed the concerns by saying she had “no desire to have this drag out.&#8221; ABC reported that Freeman wanted an update on the investigation in mid-June.
Maxwell, according to the outlet, has not been seen in public in months.
Maxwell’s attorney wrote in a letter to court that the British socialite “absolutely denies that she participated in this or any other sexual abuse or trafficking or assault, and no court, judge or jury has ever determined that she has.”
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jeffrey-epsteins-alleged-madam-is-planning-a-tv-interview-to-tell-her-side-of-the-story">reported</a> in December, Maxwell was planning to give a TV interview to tell her side of the story. The interview never happened. It was reported in January that Maxwell apparently believed she could avoid prosecution by revealing “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/epsteins-madam-apparently-thinks-she-can-avoid-prosecution-because-she-has-serious-dirt-on-powerful-people">serious dirt</a>” on powerful people. At the time, one of Maxwell’s friends <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10589347/ghislaine-maxwell-dirt-powerful-people-epstein/">told The Sun</a> that the British socialite had so much dirt on rich and powerful people she thinks she can return to her party lifestyle after “the dust has settled.”
“The Brit socialite, accused of procuring underaged girls for billionaire paedophile Epstein, remains ‘totally convinced’ that she can stay in hiding and eventually clear her name,” the outlet reported.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Ghislaine Maxwell

Jeffrey Epstein’s Madam Won’t Have To Answer Questions About Allegedly Sexual Battery Of A Minor – Yet

Crime

Jeffrey Epstein

Sexual Abuse

The woman accused of procuring underage women for deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein won’t have to submit to questioning as part of a civil suit

Jeffrey Epstein’s Madam Won’t Have To Answer Questions About Allegedly Sexual Battery Of A Minor – Yet | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/jeffrey-epsteins-madam-wont-have-to-answer-questions-about-allegedly-sexual-battery-of-a-minor-yet/

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When Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) shut down the state to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, his administration began issuing waivers to certain businesses that had been deemed not “life-sustaining,” which would allow them to remain open.
The process was not transparent, and resulted in some businesses within the same industry getting different treatment. As Spotlight PA <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/business/spl/pennsylvania-business-waivers-revoked-coronavirus-shutdown-20200513.html">reported</a> earlier this month, one photographer was granted a waiver while another was denied. A notary was granted a waiver but had it revoked without explanation the night before a list of waiver recipients was publicly posted. A trucking company that had been denied a waiver was suddenly granted one without explanation at the same time.
There was seemingly no rhyme or reason to the process, and business owners and individuals sued. One lawsuit alleged Wolf and his administration violated petitioners “constitutional guarantees against having property taken without compensation and their rights to judicial review, equal protection under the law and free speech,” The Morning Call <a href="https://www.mcall.com/coronavirus/mc-nws-coronavirus-alito-orders-wolf-respond-business-shutdown-lawsuit-20200501-fahdr2sevjghtiej4oq2v6kynu-story.html">reported</a>.
The state Supreme Court refused to review the lawsuit, but the U.S. Supreme Court ended up weighing in, ordering Wolf to respond to the lawsuit.
That particular lawsuit includes real estate agent Kathy Gregory, who told the Call that people who had agreed to sell their homes were not able to buy new properties before Wolf’s shut down order went into effect and that members of the military – who are still moving from assignment to assignment – are unable to find homes.
“How do you tell someone that housing is not a priority because the government shut us down?” she asked the outlet, adding that shelter is “basic.”
Another lawsuit, obtained by The Daily Wire includes numerous plaintiffs including a real estate brokerage firm, a home inspection company, and a swimming pool retail store. Wolf’s order essentially destroyed these businesses, who derived the vast majority of their revenue from in-person services.
Walter Zimolong, the attorney representing the plaintiffs in that lawsuit, argues that 42,000 businesses in Pennsylvania applied for waivers to continue operating, and just 7,000 received them, including Wolf’s family business, Wolf Home Products. In an email to The Daily Wire, Zimolong said one of the businesses that was granted a waiver was a hair salon conveniently located in the state capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Kenwood Pools, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, was denied a waiver while two of its competitors’ waivers were granted. Win Homes Inspection, another company suing Wolf and his administration, also was denied a waiver while a competitor’s was granted.
Both lawsuits alleged the Wolf administration violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because they were treated differently than competitors whose businesses were similar in all relevant aspects.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/us/corona-virus-lawsuits.html">reported</a> that Pennsylvania is not the only state getting sued due to business shut downs. Similar lawsuits have been filed in Arizona, New Hampshire, and other states.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Tom Wolf

Class-action Lawsuit Alleges Pennsylvania Government Violated Constitutional Rights When Distributing Coronavirus Business Waivers

Pennsylvania

When Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) shut down the state to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, his administration began issuing waivers to certain

Class-action Lawsuit Alleges Pennsylvania Government Violated Constitutional Rights When Distributing Coronavirus Business Waivers | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/class-action-lawsuit-alleges-pennsylvania-government-violated-constitutional-rights-when-distributing-coronavirus-business-waivers/

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Taking on the federal government over an injustice is, in many cases, an insurmountable task, yet that is what Sidney Longwell set out to do 38 years ago.
Longwell’s attorney, David McDonald, <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2020/04/21/feds-harass-man-for-38-years-until-he-dies-without-promised-permit/">wrote</a> about his client’s case at The Federalist (where I also have a byline).
“Sidney purchased a Montana oil and gas lease from the federal government in 1982, passed a decade’s worth of rigorous environmental and archaeological reviews, and was all set to develop the land when government suspended his lease in 1993. He spent 38 years fighting a David-and-Goliath battle to use the leased mineral rights — a battle I’m still fighting as an attorney for his family,” McDonald explained.
Longwell was able to prove that environmental and tribal cultural concerns over his land were unfounded and obtained drilling approvals for the land on four separate occasions, McDonald wrote. Despite this, the federal government refused to allow Longwell to develop on the land and stonewalled him in his lawsuit against them.
“A favorable court ruling in 2016 seemed to promise a resolution. But, given 21 days to come up with a schedule to act, the government dug in its heels instead, abruptly cancelling the lease. Incredibly, the government’s lawyers justified the decision by inventing a procedural defect that contradicted what agency officials had told Sidney for 30 years,” McDonald wrote.
Longwell died last month at age 81, still waiting for the federal government to come through.
McDonald explained just why Longwell and people like him (some of whom McDonald also represents) face an impossible task while taking on the feds:
<blockquote>Federal agencies have practically limitless resources to fight court battles, in both money and manpower. They have no competition, no shareholders to placate, and no one person who can be held personally responsible for their malfeasance. They also have the cruelest weapon of all — time.</blockquote>
McDonald went on to say that there are “many examples of federal agencies weaponizing bureaucratic delay against American citizens.” In some cases, the federal government doesn’t even bother denying an application or permit – because that can be appealed – instead they just never finish processing the permit, making the person wait indefinitely. People can sue, but as McDonald already explained, the federal government has all the time in the world to wait until the person either runs out of money or dies, as in Longwell’s case.
“What happened to Sidney Longwell is a grave injustice, and one that is becoming too common. Another of my clients, Monte Ray — also in his 80s — is still awaiting a decision on mineral patents he applied for in 1991. Another client: small, family-owned, Colorado oil company WillSource Enterprise, has been fighting the federal government’s delay tactics in processing their permits since 1995,” McDonald wrote.
Longwell’s family has now inherited this battle, meaning it may continue for decades more.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">subscriber</a>.

Small man giant foot

A Man Sued The Federal Government. He Died 38 Years Later Without A Resolution.

Federal Government

Taking on the federal government over an injustice is, in many cases, an insurmountable task, yet that is what Sidney Longwell set out to do 38 years ago.

A Man Sued The Federal Government. He Died 38 Years Later Without A Resolution. | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-man-sued-the-federal-government-he-died-38-years-later-without-a-resolution/

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The University of Michigan is embroiled in <a href="https://www.michigandaily.com/section/community-affairs/university-neglects-numerous-sexual-misconduct-claims-against-famous-voice">a sex scandal</a> involving a prominent tenured opera professor who was accused by multiple men of sexual assault and harassment.
UM President Mark Schlissel <a href="https://www.michigandaily.com/section/administration/schlissel-interview-0">was asked</a> by reporters at student newspaper The Michigan Daily about the scandal. He claimed during the interview that he was “a huge believer in due process and allowing the accused to defend themselves, to see the evidence against themselves and allowing an investigation to be thorough and complete, and then going through each of the specified faculty policies and procedures when it comes to a disciplinary action that threatens the removal of tenure.”
His remarks on this run counter to how his school’s policies work for students accused of sexual misconduct.
In 2018, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Doe v. Baum that universities must allow some form of cross-examination during allegations of sexual misconduct when the case comes down to the credibility of one person or the other. This ruling pertained to nearly all campus sexual misconduct cases, which often involve no witnesses and are a he said/she said situation where one party (almost exclusively the man) says the sexual encounter was consensual and the other (almost exclusively the woman) says it was not.
Even with the ruling, schools under the 6th Circuit and across the country continue to deny due process rights to men accused of sexual misconduct out of fear that they will receive bad press and be sued by a female accuser who will have the full backing of the media and feminist movement behind her if she claims the school didn’t take her claims seriously. Taking claims “seriously” has resulted in schools automatically believing accusers and tilting the process against the accused no matter the evidence.
UM has been no different. After the Baum ruling, President Schlissel <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/columnists/ingrid-jacques/2020/03/27/jacques-university-michigan-cant-ignore-students-rights/2916115001/">said</a> the “6th Circuit got it wrong,” and defending the school’s unfair practices.
The case that led to the ruling involved a male and female student who met while drinking, had sex, and then recounted the night differently. The female student accused the male student of sexual assault, and since there were no witnesses to the actual event and no evidence for either side, the school found the male student “not responsible.” The school interviewed 23 witnesses who provided no clarity. Some confirmed the male student’s account that the accuser wasn’t drunk and others said she seemed drunk and that she was upset after the encounter.
Because college campuses allow either side to appeal – effectively allowing double jeopardy – the female student appealed and without any additional evidence provided, the school reversed its earlier decision and found the male student responsible. He sued the school, leading to the Sixth Circuit opinion.
UM did not change its ways after the Baum decision, leading to another ruling in Doe v. University of Michigan, which found the university was up to its anti-fairness ways. Criminal defense attorney Scott Greenfield <a href="https://blog.simplejustice.us/2020/03/28/how-do-you-stop-a-problem-like-university-of-michigan/">wrote</a> on his blog Simple Justice that this isn’t surprising, given that court rulings are often ignored and the only way for a student to remedy that fact is to sue. Many accused students are minority and foreign students who don’t have such resources.
“As more suits are brought, more rulings obtained, holding that campus sex tribunals involve unconstitutional deprivations of due process to accused male students, some colleges will comply, but others will simply resist, firm in their belief that they are on the right side of history and, even if courts don’t agree, are doing what they have to, what they should, do to protect women. They are, in essence, challenging the courts by saying ‘make me,’ and the reality is that the &#8216;least dangerous branch&#8217; doesn’t have any really good magic to do so,” Greenfield wrote.

Judge

College President Says He Believes In Due Process. His School’s Handling Of Sexual Assault Allegations Says Otherwise.

The University of Michigan is embroiled in a sex scandal involving a prominent tenured opera professor who was accused by multiple men of sexual assault

College President Says He Believes In Due Process. His School’s Handling Of Sexual Assault Allegations Says Otherwise. | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/college-president-says-he-believes-in-due-process-his-schools-handling-of-sexual-assault-allegations-says-otherwise/

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Former CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson had her lawyers send a letter to the New York Times demanding they correct the “false and defamatory” article titled “From Jerry Falwell Jr to Dr. Drew: 5 Coronavirus Doubters,” which painted Attkisson as one of those doubters.
Attkisson published the legal threat to her <a href="https://sharylattkisson.com/2020/03/read-attkisson-demands-nyt-retract-false-libelous-report/">personal website</a>, saying her attorney would “pursue legal redress” if changes were not made. Attkisson’s attorney, G. Taylor Wilson of Wade, Grunberg &amp; Wilson, LLC, says in the letter that she had attempted to get the article corrected previously, but was provided a “cavalier response” from the Times.
“Through a combination of discrete statements of fact, the defamatory headline, and the juxtaposition of defamatory statements concerning a small group of individuals with whom you have lumped Ms. Attkisson, the article conveys the false and defamatory gist that my client, among other things, lied to her readers and listeners, reported as fact lies that endanger the lives of the public, and otherwise violated the litany of ethical standards by which responsible journalists conduct themselves,” Wilson wrote.
Wilson then outlines 10 examples from the Times article that were false and defamatory toward Attkisson:
<ol>
<li>
<blockquote>The false and defamatory headline, “From Jerry Falwell Jr to Dr. Drew: 5 Coronavirus Doubters.”</blockquote>
</li>
<li>
<blockquote>“While public health experts warn people to take precautions, these popular media figures insist that the virus is overhyped.”</blockquote>
</li>
<li>
<blockquote>“Misinformation about the coronavirus continues to circulate across swaths of the American media – on popular podcasts, in blog podcasts, in blog posts, in online videos and on prime-time cable news shows – as recently as this week.”</blockquote>
</li>
<li>
<blockquote>“Some are conservatives who insist the virus is being hyped for political purposes.”</blockquote>
</li>
<li>
<blockquote>“Even as President Trump and the federal government’s top public health officials warn that the virus is not something to be taken lightly – and the authorities reported more coronavirus deaths in the United States on Wednesday – these commentators make misleading comments, cherry-pick facts and go so far as to claim that the virus could be a hoax or a North Korean Plot.”</blockquote>
</li>
<li>
<blockquote>“One of Mr. Hannity’s top sources [Ms. Attkisson] selectively picks facts.”</blockquote>
</li>
<li>
<blockquote>“In the past, she [Ms. Attkisson] has promoted the debunked theory that vaccines cause autism.”</blockquote>
</li>
<li>
<blockquote>“The facts she has chosen recently to highlight falsely leave the impression that the deaths are not all that significant in number and largely contained to one facility.”</blockquote>
</li>
<li>
<blockquote>“‘Look at those 30-some-odd deaths – most of them were from Washington State,’ Ms. Attkisson said last week on her podcast, adding that most of those were in an assisted-living facility. ‘The vast majority of those who passed away were from one cluster in the United States – almost none anywhere else.’”</blockquote>
</li>
<li>
<blockquote>“And yet visitors to Ms. Attkisson’s website this week might have come away confused about the severity of the virus, as there were several ads for high-grade protective masks.”</blockquote>
</li>
</ol>
As Attkisson’s attorney noted, the Times did not always specifically state how the investigative reporter dismissed the coronavirus, instead lumping her in with four other individuals and claiming things like “these popular media figures insist that the virus is overhyped.” Wilson also took issue with the claims directly written about Attkisson.
“[I]t bears noting that the portion of the Article directly referencing Ms. Attkison is equally problematic and actionable. In it, the Times chose in its editorial discretion to affix defamatory labels to otherwise accurate and fair reporting conducted by Ms. Attkisson. For instance, the Times reiterated its “cherry-picking” accusation by asserting that my client highlighted selective facts that ‘falsely leave the impression that the deaths are not all that significant in number and largely contained to one facility,’” Wilson wrote. “It comes as no surpise that my client’s accurate and factual reporting in this regard mirrors the Times’ own reporting on the virus, including that at the time of publication the deaths in the United States numbered approximately 30 and that they were concentrated in Washington State, and a nursing home facility in particular.”
Wilson noted that the Times is using Attkisson’s past accurate statements to discredit her now that new information has come to light. Attkisson even noted that what she was reporting was current information that was subject to change and directed her listeners to go to cdc.gov for the most accurate and updated information.

Sharyl Attkisson

Ex-CBS Reporter Sharyl Attkisson Demands New York Times Correct ‘False And Defamatory’ Article

defamation

New York Times

Former CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson had her lawyers send a letter to the New York Times demanding they correct the “false and defamatory” article titled

Ex-CBS Reporter Sharyl Attkisson Demands New York Times Correct ‘False And Defamatory’ Article | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/ex-cbs-reporter-sharyl-attkisson-demands-new-york-times-correct-false-and-defamatory-article/

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On Friday’s episode of The New York Times&#8217; podcast “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/07/podcasts/the-daily/weinstein-trial.html">The Daily</a>,” Donna Rotunno, a Chicago-based attorney who has represented dozens of men accused of sexual misconduct, was asked in a pre-recorded interview about her decision to now defend disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein. 
&#8220;My role in this is to represent him in a criminal case, and as I&#8217;ve said multiple times, there&#8217;s a difference between sins and crimes. You can believe that Harvey Weinstein is a sinner, and you can believe that he did things that you wouldn&#8217;t do or you wouldn&#8217;t like, but my question here is does that rise to the level of a crime,&#8221; Rotunno told Megan Twohey, the Times reporter who co-wrote the 2017 Weinstein investigation. 
“I think quite often, we look to the accusers and we talk about the effects that these things have on their lives, but we do not look at the effects that these types of allegations and accusations have on the person being accused,” said Rotunno. 
Rotunno remains particularly concerned with the long-term effects that sexual misconduct accusations have on men, invoking an observation her mother made about the media’s rush to condemn three Duke University lacrosse team players for a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/lacrosse/2013/02/28/duke-2006-rape-allegations/1953607/">gang-rape allegation</a>: “When those boys die someday, their obituary is going to say the Duke Lacrosse players.” 
To clients who once felt hopeless, Rotunno’s legal acumen has made a world of difference. In 2013, Rotunno represented high-end fashion designer Elhadji Gueye, who was arrested when an acquaintance filed a police report alleging sexual assault, a charge Gueye maintained was filed only after he refused to pay her $50,000 in hush money, according to <a href="https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/February-2018/The-Defender/">Chicago Magazine</a>. 
When police requested as evidence the clothing she was wearing at the time of the alleged rape, the accuser didn’t submit the pajama bottoms, and later told the court she didn’t know where they went. But during cross-examination, Rotunno pointed to a peculiarity, revealed by a security camera that recorded the accuser’s alleged hush money request: “Of all the clothes in your closet, the ones you choose to wear to meet your ‘rapist’ were the pants you were raped in?” 
Rotunno believes her pointed question led the jury to a prompt not-guilty verdict, and reflected on the trial during the Times’ interview: “He wins, but what do you win? You win your case in criminal court, and then you have to worry about building your reputation back, if you can, where people are then willing to come back and frequent your establishment.”
According to <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nishitajha/harvey-weinstein-lawyer-donna-rotunno-daily-times-interview">Buzzfeed News</a>, after the interview aired on Friday, &#8220;prosecutors argued it violated Judge James Burke&#8217;s previous order directing lawyers to not discuss the case and the witnesses in public.&#8221; Rotunno claims the interview was recorded &#8220;a long time ago&#8221; and didn&#8217;t know when it would air, but the New York Times claims the interview was recorded on January 28 and that Rotunno knew it would air Friday.
When it concerns the man who sparked the #MeToo movement, the court of public opinion has been swift and decisive. But while nearly <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/05/us/harvey-weinstein-trial.html">80 women</a> have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct, ranging from unwanted groping to forcible rape, the charges in the Manhattan trial are specific and concern only two criminal accusers. 
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/weinstein-jury-forced-to-review-his-nude-photos-following-intersex-vagina-allegation">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported, Jessica Mann, a former actress who is now a hairstylist, claims she consensually entered into a relationship with Weinstein after he forced her to permit him to perform oral sex. 
“I made the decision to be in a relationship with him,” said Mann, according to <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2020/01/jessica-mann-harvey-weinstein-trial-testimony.html">Vulture</a>. “And part of that was because I was sexual with very few people. I entered into what I thought was going to be a real relationship with him — and it was extremely degrading from that point on.”
Mann has also alleged that Weinstein violently raped her at a New York City hotel in 2013; Weinstein maintains that all encounters were consensual, and his defense team has produced emails from Mann showing that she maintained contact with him for years, and would provide him with updated contact information on multiple occasions. 
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harvey-weinstein-accuser-he-ripped-out-my-tampon-and-performed-oral-sex-on-me">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported, Weinstein has also been accused of forcibly performing oral sex on Mimi Haleyi, a production assistant for Project Runway, at his apartment in 2006. 
In total, Weinstein faces five criminal counts, including rape and predatory sexual assault, in connection with alleged assaults against the two accusers. He faces up to life in prison if convicted. 
This report has been updated to include additional information about the nature of the interview, including a statement by Rotunno and the New York Times about it&#8217;s timing and release.

Harvey Weinstein Trial Continues In New York

Lead Weinstein Attorney Speaks Out: Here’s Why I Defend Men Accused Of Rape

Harvey Weinstein

MeToo

Prison

On Friday’s episode of The New York Times&#039; podcast “The Daily,” Donna Rotunno, a Chicago-based attorney who has represented dozens of men accused of

Lead Weinstein Attorney Speaks Out: Here’s Why I Defend Men Accused Of Rape | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/lead-weinstein-attorney-speaks-out-heres-why-im-defending-him/

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After taking a surprising lead in the faith-focused Iowa caucuses, presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg is now being discussed as a Democratic Party presidential frontrunner. But despite being a self-proclaimed Christian, Buttigieg’s rhetoric and policies undermine rather than support religious liberty.
Buttigieg has unabashedly embraced House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-house-democrats-equality-act-both-josh-hammer">Equality Act legislation</a> that would strike a massive blow to our nation’s religious institutions. Specifically, the Equality Act would create a federally protected status for gender identity, defined as the “gender-related identity, appearance, mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, regardless of the individual’s designated sex at birth.”
Any faith-based establishment — including churches, schools, and hospitals — with theological beliefs in conflict with this definition would likely face expensive legal battles, lawsuits, and public scrutiny. Case in point: A <a href="https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-wa-and-peacehealth-agree-settle-lawsuit-involving-transgender-healthcare" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-wa-and-peacehealth-agree-settle-lawsuit-involving-transgender-healthcare&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1581100427416000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGAth8sOEO3vpXX7ZIu4u4Xmi5vXA">Catholic hospital</a> was sued last year by the ACLU because it would not perform a risky sex-change surgery on a 16-year-old girl.
Unfortunately, the Equality Act would coerce health care and mental health professionals into providing dangerous gender-transition treatments for young children and adolescents, counter to their medical advice — and for many, against their religious beliefs.
Just as alarming, Buttigieg has imposed litmus tests based on what he deems theologically acceptable. We witnessed this first-hand when the former South Bend, Indiana mayor attacked Second Lady Karen Pence for teaching at a private school that adheres to her Judeo-Christian belief about marriage. In response, Buttigieg ridiculed the Pences and likened their religious views to that of “<a href="https://twitter.com/PeteButtigieg/status/1086297780514115585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1086297780514115585&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthefederalist.com%2F2019%2F11%2F11%2Fwhy-pete-buttigieg-is-the-most-destructive-candidate-for-christianity%2F" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/PeteButtigieg/status/1086297780514115585?ref_src%3Dtwsrc%255Etfw%257Ctwcamp%255Etweetembed%257Ctwterm%255E1086297780514115585%26ref_url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fthefederalist.com%252F2019%252F11%252F11%252Fwhy-pete-buttigieg-is-the-most-destructive-candidate-for-christianity%252F&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1581100427416000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGwUBGJvLf5CXMJu3hcs6dg6abQ5g">Pharisees</a>.”
As a private institution, like thousands of such private schools that have long existed in our country, the school where Mrs. Pence teaches has the right to govern its school according to its own religious beliefs. Islamic schools, Buddhist schools, and Jewish schools are also free to do so under the United States Constitution.
As an individual running for our nation’s highest office, Pete Buttigieg is signaling how a Buttigieg administration would handle religious liberty. And his signals should frighten many.
When explicitly asked about religious freedom, Buttigieg <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/10/10/buttigieg_religious_freedom_makes_god_smaller_when_used_used_as_an_excuse_to_harm_other_people.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/10/10/buttigieg_religious_freedom_makes_god_smaller_when_used_used_as_an_excuse_to_harm_other_people.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1581100427416000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGJ6Rk7gZclZ3HMbhwVWW9qPgHRiw">claimed</a>, “the right to religious freedom ends where religion is being used as an excuse to harm other people.” He gave no further explanation of his definition of “harm,” placing the ironclad religious protections that our nation has valued for generations at considerable risk under his vague interpretation.
Our founding charter, the Constitution, defends and supports the belief that America was established on the freedom of ALL religions. Furthermore, it is not just freedom afforded to spiritual individuals to put their trust in religious faith or belief. Rather, it is an essential aspect of a well-ordered society to respect that human beings are made in the image of a higher power and should be able to order their lives around their personal religious beliefs.
Mayor Pete has ignored that right, choosing instead to weaponize his beliefs as a litmus test against the beliefs of others. If an individual or entity gets in his way, he will marginalize them — no questions asked.
This complete disregard for our nation’s freedom isn’t how freedom actually works. Our rights aren’t good enough when a leader deems them acceptable to their standards; they stand on their own because the Constitution says so.
&nbsp;
Ms. Vought is executive director of the <a href="https://www.senateconservatives.com">Senate Conservatives Fund</a>. Her husband, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/russ-vought">Russ</a>, is acting director of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget.

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VOUGHT: Pete Buttigieg Is No Friend Of Religious Liberty

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After taking a surprising lead in the faith-focused Iowa caucuses, presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg is now being discussed as a Democratic Party

VOUGHT: Pete Buttigieg Is No Friend Of Religious Liberty | The Daily Wire

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Actress Jessica Mann testified in a Manhattan courtroom on Friday that when disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein allegedly raped her in 2013 that she thought he was &#8220;intersex&#8221; because he did not have testicles and appeared to have a vagina.
&#8220;Weinstein faces charges in New York City for allegedly raping Mann, and for an alleged sexual assault on former actress Mimi Haleyi,&#8221; Vulture reported. &#8220;Prosecutors have used Sopranos actress Annabella Sciorra’s allegation that Weinstein raped her around late 1993 to bolster their claim that Weinstein has a pattern of predatory behavior. Weinstein has maintained his innocence.&#8221;
During her testimony, Mann said that Weinstein &#8220;would talk very dirty to me about fantasies and things, and compare me to the other things actresses that he said were doing kinky, dirty things with him. He always wanted to film me. I never gave him permission.&#8221;
At one point during her testimony, Mann said, “The first time I saw him fully naked I thought he was deformed and intersex. He has an extreme scarring that I didn’t know, maybe [he] was a burn victim …”
“He does not have testicles, and it appears that he has a vagina,” Mann said regarding the first time she saw him naked.
Vulture reported that as Mann made the allegations, Weinstein dropped his head.
When asked about Weinstein’s hygiene, Mann said, “It was very bad. He smelled like shit — excuse me, sorry, like poop. He just was dirty.”
Vulture&#8217;s report on Mann&#8217;s testimony detailed several highly graphic alleged instances of sexual assault that Mann said happened, including while she was in a brief tumultuous relationship with him.
Vulture asked Weinstein after the hearing if her description of him was accurate.
Weinstein responded: “Yeah, perfect.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Here is what <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HarveyWeinstein?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HarveyWeinstein</a> had to say when asked if <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/jessicamann?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#jessicamann</a>&#39;s description of yr body accurate: <a href="https://t.co/jdT2JDK7ZI">pic.twitter.com/jdT2JDK7ZI</a>
&mdash; Victoria Bekiempis (@vicbekiempis) <a href="https://twitter.com/vicbekiempis/status/1223356641095159811?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The sexual allegations made against Weinstein in October 2017 were the catalyst for the #MeToo movement which saw numerous high profile men go down over sexual misconduct allegations.
The New York Times broke the story on October 5, 2017, writing:
<blockquote>Two decades ago, the Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein invited Ashley Judd to the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel for what the young actress expected to be a business breakfast meeting. Instead, he had her sent up to his room, where he appeared in a bathrobe and asked if he could give her a massage or she could watch him shower, she recalled in an interview.
“How do I get out of the room as fast as possible without alienating Harvey Weinstein?” Ms. Judd said she remembers thinking.
In 2014, Mr. Weinstein invited Emily Nestor, who had worked just one day as a temporary employee, to the same hotel and made another offer: If she accepted his sexual advances, he would boost her career, according to accounts she provided to colleagues who sent them to Weinstein Company executives. The following year, once again at the Peninsula, a female assistant said Mr. Weinstein badgered her into giving him a massage while he was naked, leaving her “crying and very distraught,” wrote a colleague, Lauren O’Connor, in a searing memo asserting sexual harassment and other misconduct by their boss.</blockquote>
Read The Times&#8217; full report <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/us/harvey-weinstein-harassment-allegations.html">here</a>. 
This report has been updated to include additional information.

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Weinstein Rape Accuser Testifies: He Didn’t Have Testicles, Appeared To Have Vagina First Time I Saw Him Naked

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Actress Jessica Mann testified in a Manhattan courtroom on Friday that when disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein allegedly raped her in 2013 that

Weinstein Rape Accuser Testifies: He Didn’t Have Testicles, Appeared To Have Vagina First Time I Saw Him Naked | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/weinstein-rape-accuser-testifies-he-doesnt-have-testicles-appears-to-have-vagina/

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