On Monday, a federal court judge heard oral arguments in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case brought by the Service Women's Action Network (SWAN) and the ACLU seeking records from the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs regarding their response to sexual assault, sexual harassment, and domestic violence in the military. While the hearing has yet to yield a final ruling, one point was clear: the government continues to refuse to disclose documents that could reveal the human toll of military sexual and domestic violence.
By Ariela Migdal, ACLU Women's Rights Project at 1:18pm
According to a new study, sexual harassment, including unwanted sexual touching and sexual coercion as well as milder behaviors, is a regular feature of going to school for a significant number of American middle- and high-school students. The American Association of University Women released a study yesterday, surveying nearly 2000 students in grades 7 through 12. According to the study, girls reported being harassed more than boys, and harassment affected girls more negatively than boys. Of great concern, 13% of girls reported being touched in an unwelcome sexual way, 9% reported being physically intimidated in a sexual way, and 4% reported being forced to do something sexual.
This month marks the 20th anniversary of Anita Hill's testimony at Clarence Thomas' Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Twenty years ago, in the face of extreme pressure, Professor Hill recounted the ways that Thomas, who had been her boss at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, sexually harassed her at work by pressuring her for dates, detailing pornographic films, and bragging about his sexual prowess. In spite of witness testimony supporting Hill's assertions, Senator Arlen Specter accused her of "flat-out perjury." Clarence Thomas was confirmed to the Supreme Court by a vote of 52-48.
