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Court Rules That Sexual Harassment Case Against SpaceX Can Proceed
Confirmed
In Short: Children's author and comedian David Walliams has been removed from an upcoming film and its publicity tour following sexual harassment allegations.
Children's author and comedian David Walliams has been removed from an upcoming film and its publicity tour following sexual harassment allegations. The film's producers have confirmed that Walliams' cameo appearance in the movie 'Fing!' will be removed after an investigation by The Guardian and ITV News revealed multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.
The allegations include claims that Walliams groomed young fans, some as young as 15, and harassed women in the workplace over several years. Walliams' removal from the film and publicity tour comes as a response to these serious allegations.
In a separate development, Cornell University trustees have announced that former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates will conduct an independent review of how the university handles sexual misconduct complaints. This decision follows criticism over the university's handling of a 2024 gang rape allegation at a fraternity house.
Yates, now a partner at the law firm King & Spalding, will examine Cornell's investigative and disciplinary procedures, campus police responses, and oversight of fraternities. The review will also include how the university investigates reports of sexual assault and harassment.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives voted to censure Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., over allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, stated that Edwards' actions created a hostile work environment for female staffers.
Guest noted on the House floor that while the investigation did not find evidence of sexual activity or explicit propositions, Edwards' conduct was inappropriate and violated rules prohibiting sexual harassment.
NBC also announced the firing of Matt Lauer, co-anchor of the Today show, over a sexual harassment allegation. This decision came after a similar incident involving Fox Business Network anchor Ed Henry, who was terminated in 2020 following an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations.
Jennifer Eckhart, a former Fox Business staffer who sued Henry for sexual harassment and retaliation, was found dead in September. Eckhart had filed a complaint with FBN in June 2020, alleging 'willful sexual misconduct in the workplace years ago' by Henry.
In another case, an 16-year-old girl in Madhya Pradesh underwent a forensic examination after being found pregnant during a sexual assault investigation. The examination established that the man accused of raping her was not the biological father of the foetus.
These cases highlight the ongoing challenges in addressing sexual harassment and assault, and the importance of thorough investigations and appropriate responses from institutions and organizations.
The 2020 rule changes to Title IX, which limited the types of sexual harassment and assault complaints schools had to investigate and required live hearings, drew praise from conservatives but intense opposition from advocates who said it downplayed sexual abuse and left victims unprotected.
What this adds
The Guardian's investigation into Walliams' alleged misconduct is part of a broader trend of media outlets and institutions addressing sexual harassment allegations.
What's confirmed
- (AP) — A former high-ranking Department of Justice official will look at how Cornell handles sexual misconduct complaints, university trustees announced Tuesday as they tried to address an outpouring of anger over allegations of a 2024 gang rape at a fraternity house.
- The assessment is to include how the Ivy League university investigates reports of sexual assault and sexual harassment, how the disciplinary process works, campus police responses and more.
- (WSTM) — Sally Yates, a former deputy attorney general who served in the Obama Administration, will look into how Cornell University handles sexual misconduct complaints.
What's still developing
- Lawyers for two of the former students denied they participated in a sexual assault.
- Brand has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison, after he was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
- Earlier this year, his lawyers took a case to the high court in an attempt to stop the allegations from being published.