The shelter in place orders resulting from the coronavirus outbreak drastically changed the daily lives of millions of Americans. Our local and national leaders implemented social distancing and lockdown orders designed to slow the spread of the virus and keep citizens safe. However, these safety measures actually put some of our more vulnerable citizens at…
The Coronavirus pandemic has hurt people around the world in more ways than one. From job loss to sickness to death, people across the country are dealing with adversity at every turn. There are groups of people who are having a particularly difficult time getting the help they need: sex trafficking victims, sexual abuse victims,…
Normandie Burgos, a well-known coach in the Bay Area, was convicted of 60 counts of child molestation in May 2019 and sentenced to 255 years in prison. Despite being arrested for the second time in 2014 for charges of abusing one of his players, Burgos was allowed to continue coaching until 2017. He was arrested…
Virtual meetings have become the go-to method of communicating for workplaces and schools throughout California and all across the country ever since the Coronavirus pandemic took over the United States. With schools moving to remote learning and many workplaces moving their employees to remote settings, virtual meetings have been how people are still completing their…
Millions of Americans have been told to shelter-in-place or stay-at-home since the pandemic reached the United States. Even though many Americans will be safe while staying home, millions are not safe in their own homes due to domestic violence. In fact, more than 10 million Americans experience some form of domestic violence every year. Removing…
Deciding on a course of action in the wake of a traumatic event like sexual assault is typically uncharted territory for victims, and can leave them feeling overwhelmed. In cases where non-disclosure agreements are involved, the path forward can seem even more daunting, adding confusion and fear to an already crushing emotional struggle. For survivors…
A decision in November of last year by the District Court of Massachusetts has helped clear up the issue of employer liability when illegal sex trafficking occurs on an employer’s property. The case – Ricchio v. Bijal – involves Lisa Ricchio, the victim, who was kidnapped by Clark McLean, the defendant. Ricchio was held against…
Have you experienced the situation in your workplace in which your boss or someone in authority over you, or even a coworker, persistently makes unwanted sexual advances? You may have told the perpetrator to stop numerous times, but he refuses. You may have even filed a complaint with your company’s human resources department according to…
The University of Southern California (USC) has agreed to make significant changes to the process it follows for reporting sexual misconduct allegations in light of the findings of a federal investigation. The school has agreed to these procedural changes after systematic failures were discovered in the school’s handling of abuse allegations against George Tyndall, former…
The subject of sexual harassment virtually always conjures up thoughts of a man preying on a woman’s vulnerable position. It can happen at work, walking down the street, in an educational setting, at the gym, or even in a place of worship. When rumors start to fly, the perpetrator is almost always vilified, and rightfully…