Reports of rape and fondling at USC surged in 2018 due to allegations against George Tyndall, officials say

Reports of sex offenses at the University of Southern California rose sharply last year, a spike that campus officials say results from a mass of allegations of sexual misconduct against former campus gynecologist George Tyndall.

The annual security and fire safety report, released by the university Tuesday, shows 92 reports of rape and 25 reports of fondling last year, a combined increase of more than 200% from the prior year. In 2017, the university received 17 reports of rape and 17 reports of fondling, according to the document.

While the misconduct involving Tyndall allegedly occurred years prior to 2018, university officials say allegations were brought to their attention last year, which is why they are now being reported. read more »

USC Insurer Fights Arbitration Over $215M Sex Abuse Deal

An insurance company seeking to dodge covering part of a $215 million class action settlement stemming from sexual abuse allegations against a former University of Southern California gynecologist has urged a California federal judge to keep the case out of arbitration. read more »

'Alarm bell' as top global firms score poorly on sexism and harassment

Almost six out of 10 global companies do not have an anti-sexual harassment policy two years after #MeToo went viral, a survey found on Tuesday, noting controversies in U.S. tech firms.

With employees at Google, Facebook and Uber demanding action on sexual harassment, including a mass staff walk out at Google, the tech sector had been through a “turbulent” period, said Equileap, which researches corporate gender equality.

The #MeToo movement began in 2017 in the United States as a response to accusations of sexual assault and harassment in Hollywood and emboldened women around the world to recount their experiences of being verbally abused, groped, molested or raped. read more »

New lawsuit claims abuse by Washington Boy Scout leaders

Three new lawsuits have been filed in King County accusing Boy Scout leaders of sexual abuse and the organization of allowing it to continue. 

Dale Becker is one of the former Scouts suing the Boy Scouts of America. He tells KIRO 7 he was repeatedly sexually assaulted by former Scoutmaster James Sauget. "I was terrified of this guy and he was molesting me. Did it screw up my life?  Yeah," said Becker.

According to Becker and another plaintiff, the Boy Scouts "ignored warning signs and complaints about Sauget's abusive behavior."

From 1961 to 1990, the Boy Scouts of America kept a so-called "Ineligible Volunteer" file.  The file contains 52 Scout leaders from Washington State who have been accused of sexual abuse. read more »

USA Swimming is being investigated for suppressing sex-abuse claims

Federal prosecutors in New York are investigating USA Swimming over allegations that it suppressed sexual-abuse claims, concealed its assets and improperly reaped hundreds of thousands in dollars from its in-house insurance company, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The probe is one of several to stem from sexual-abuse scandals that have erupted in Olympic sports in the past few years, including one of gymnastics that found hundreds of young girls had been abused over years by team doctor Larry Nassar. read more »

The Catholic Church and Boy Scouts are lobbying against child abuse statutes. This is their playbook

Pennsylvania state Rep. Tom Murt slid into a pew at his childhood church, seeking a break from politics and the stress of work.

Instead, Murt got an earful.

In his sermon, the priest talked about a bill pending in the state Legislature that would give survivors of child sexual abuse more time to sue their abusers – and the institutions that hid abuse.

The Catholic Church was being mistreated, the priest said. Legislators were being particularly harsh toward the church. read more »