Article here. Excerpt:

'Whatever policy is recommended, there’s now a fresh reminder that the due process rights of the accused must not be abridged. On Aug. 8, a state appeals court in Los Angeles ruled on a 3-0 vote that a male Claremont McKenna College student punished for alleged wrongdoing had his rights violated by a college disciplinary process that limited his ability to defend himself against accusations. The verdict affirmed the view of Harvard law professor Nancy Gertner, who wrote in 2015 that policies adopted by colleges created the “worst of both worlds” for accused students — a system in which they could be found guilty based on a “preponderance” of evidence, as with civil lawsuits, but without the protections available in civil lawsuits through the evidence discovery process.

Article here. Excerpt:

'Dylan Jones, Editor of GQ, today announced that American activist, director and author Rose McGowan will be honoured with the Inspiration award at the 21st annual GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2018, in association with Hugo Boss.

The award recognises McGowan’s bravery as one of the first women to speak openly about sexual assault and harassment in the film industry. Her openness about her experience has been one of the driving forces behind the #MeToo movement, which has garnered huge global attention, with women and men speaking out about their own experiences.'

ICYMI: Rose McGowan criticized after urging people to be 'gentle' on Asia Argento amid sexual assault claims

Article here. Excerpt:

'When I was younger, and the boys were relatively small, I used to say I should have stuck to cats. Cats never grow up to be mass murderers.
...
Look, speaking generally boys are more aggressive, even as small kids.  And once they get testosterone pumping in during puberty, they’re aggressive, they’re large, they’re stronger than most women by the time they’re 14 or so, and you can tell how many times during the day they meditate on violence, even if they don’t do it.  It’s the way the body is wired.  None of us – not one – are descended from non-aggressive apes, and throughout all of history and certainly most of pre-history, the duty to defend female and young of the band went to the male, usually the youngish male.
...
And no one would believe seeing my sons engage in the amiable “rolling argument” how many times when they were younger I feared one would kill the other.  (Another permanent saying was “I know one of them is Cain and one Abel, I just don’t know which.”)

Article here. Excerpt:

'The University of California, Los Angeles hopes to pay more students to fight “toxic masculinity” and “microaggressions” on campus, just two weeks after announcing it had already hired 20 foot soldiers for its social justice army.

Hosted by the UCLA Intergroup Relations Program, the Diversity Peer Leaders project is a year-long internship during which students are paid $13 per hour to facilitate workshops on social justice issues and intercultural communication.

Two weeks ago, school officials confirmed that 20 students have been hired, at an estimated annual cost of up to $42,000. Reached by Campus Reform, a spokesman claimed that the project is not funded by taxpayers, but rather, by the Student Services Fee.

That $376-per-quarter fee is not optional. Over a standard four-year degree, the fee amounts to at least $4,512—more if a student takes longer to graduate.

Article here. Excerpt:

'The University of Oregon Men’s Center recently revamped its mission to start fighting "toxic masculinity," now a monumental effort that will cost the student body nearly $90,000 this upcoming school year alone.

Founded in 2002, the Men’s Center initially served as a hangout for men to learn about healthy living and nutrition. But in early February, the Men’s Center was taken over by a young woman who announced that it would be overhauled to focus on social justice.

"We are working towards the radical idea of a socially just world. For far too long men have been absent from the discussion of social equality," reads a February 2018 announcement. "Our focus is to use social justice… to reconstruct what we know masculinity to be."

Now, the Men’s Center organizes events exclusively to fight “toxic masculinity.”

Article here. Excerpt:

'On Monday, Rose McGowan, a leading face of the #MeToo movement and alleged sexual assault victim of Harvey Weinstein, tweeted out her support for fellow #MeToo icon Asia Argento. A New York Times article over the weekend revealed that Argento paid out $380,000 to Jimmy Bennett, a former child actor who claims that in 2013, Argento sexually assaulted him in a California hotel. Bennett was 17 at the time. Bennett once played Argento’s son — when he was 7 — in the 2004 film The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things.
...
So, if McGowan now wants to talk about waiting for evidence, that sounds great. But let’s be clear: the major flaw of the #MeToo movement has been the demand that evidence be secondary to accusations. And it’s hypocrisy to flip the script the moment that McGowan’s friend is implicated.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Everyone at George Washington University has to follow its code of student conduct. Even the administration.

A federal judge sided with a student accused of sexual assault, ruling last week that the university was in breach of its own rules by refusing to hear his appeal of its finding against him.

The university protested the student’s description of its code as a “contract,” saying that it “did not intend to be bound by the Code and that there is no mutuality of obligation.”'

Article here. Excerpt:

'#MeToo advocate Asia Argento, one of the first women to accuse disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, paid off an ex-child actor who accused her of sexual misconduct, according to legal documents obtained by The New York Times.

Jimmy Bennett, who was 17 at the time of the encounter, alleges that he was assaulted by Argento in a California hotel in 2013, when the actress was 37. (The age of consent in California is 18.) Bennett’s lawyer notified Argento last November of his intention to sue for $3.5 million for emotional distress, lost wages, assault and battery – a month after she went public with her allegations against Weinstein. The Italian actress agreed to pay him $380,000.

Three people familiar with the case told the Times the documents were authentic.

USA TODAY has reached out to Argento’s representative for comment. Bennett declined comment to the Times.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Circumcision is a proven intervention that reduces the chance of contracting HIV by 60%, but to scientists’ surprise, a study has found that medically circumcised older men in Mpumalanga had a higher rate of HIV than uncircumcised men.

The findings appear to suggest that it needs to be communicated to both men and women that circumcision does not offer 100% protection against HIV.

The study, published in the PLOS ONE journal on August 1, was conducted by Indiana University professors Molly Rosenberg and Till Barnighausen from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, together with professors Kathleen Kahn and Stephen Tollman from the Wits Rural Health in Transition and Agincourt Research Unit.

The researchers surveyed about 2,345 Mpumalanga men, who were 40 years and older.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Another #metoo claim came to light this week, when a Title IX report was leaked and a lawsuit was filed. The accuser is a former graduate student and the accused is a prominent NYU professor who is highly respected and world-renowned in the fields of philosophy and comparative literature. You’ve probably never heard of the student nor the professor, but because of multiple unusual twists, this case has become controversial and juicy fodder for news headlines, blogs, editorials, and of course, Twitter.
...
And indeed, the vast majority of cases do involve protecting female students from male perpetrators. But should Title IX, a major feminist victory, be used to take down a widely-respected feminist scholar? A feminist who identifies as queer, no less? Accused of sexual harassment by a man who is gay? This just doesn’t add up…or does it?

If this news story has got you twisted, here are 10 facts about sexual misconduct, human nature, and the law to consider:

Article here. Excerpt:

'We are well into the #Metoo era, yet journalists and editors are still fixated on the harasser's fall from grace rather than the detrimental effect of sexual harassment on the victims and our society as a whole. The News story “Prominent geneticist out at UC Irvine after harassment finding” (M. Wadman, 29 June, https://scim.ag/AyalaResignation) reinforces a familiar toxic narrative: The accomplishments of the harasser hold more value to science than women's right to a safe workplace. This is now so commonplace that it has been dubbed “himpathy” (1).

Article here. Excerpt:

'A 35-year-old Enid woman was charged this week with false reporting of a crime after telling police officers in February she was raped and recanting her story in April.

Cynthia Anne Wood, also known as Cynthia A. Williams, 35, faces up to 90 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $500 on the misdemeanor charge.

Online court records show she is free on $5,000 bond.

According to an affidavit filed in the case by Enid Police Department Detective Brad Pritchett, on Feb. 16 officers Austin Lenamond and Benjamin Streck spoke with Wood at the police department in reference to a sexual assault.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'A woman who laid a false rape complaint against her ex-fiance after he broke up with her put him and his family through "a year of anguish".

The 36-year-old had visited the victim at work after the breakup, but when he refused to revisit the issue, she immediately laid the complaint.

The woman, who has interim name suppression, appeared in the Wellington District Court this afternoon, where Judge Denys Barry listened to victim impact statements.

The victim was not in court, but sent a statement which his brother read out on his behalf.

It said the offending had changed his views of women and caused serious, ongoing health issues.

According to the summary of facts, he ended their 18-month relationship. During the relationship he suffered "constant emotional blackmail", the victim said in his statement.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'The University of Michigan’s lawyer didn’t get any easier treatment from Thapar (below) at the Aug. 1 hearing. The judge even suggested that lawyer David DeBruin was arguing for the university’s right to “set up a kangaroo court” in all adjudications, not just Title IX proceedings.
...
Kline also determined that evidence didn’t corroborate the accuser’s claim that Doe coerced her into unwanted sexual activity. The evidence standard was “preponderance,” also known as “more likely than not,” which was mandated by the Obama administration. (A year and a half later, the Trump administration rescinded this mandate and let schools choose between preponderance and a higher standard, “clear and convincing.”)

Unsatisfied with the ruling, and empowered by a university system that permitted double jeopardy in sexual-misconduct cases, Doe’s accuser appealed Doe’s exoneration.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'The sisterhood is not amused. A lesbian feminist has been suspended from her teaching post at New York University for a year, judged to have sexually harassed a gay man who was formerly her graduate student. (Yes, this is a bit confusing.)

The accused, Avital Ronell, is described by The New York Times as a “world-renowned female professor of German and Comparative Literature” and by a colleague as “one of the very few philosopher-stars of this world.” In academic circles, in other words, she is a big deal.

She is also now considered by many to be a victim of Title IX, the very law that she and so many other like-minded women have championed. A group of well-known feminists and academics have rallied to her defense, talking of her good character and record, and also trying to besmirch the reputation of Nimrod Reitman, the young man who filed charges of not only harassment against Ronell, but also sexual assault.'