May
15
Abstinence-only education hurts teens
Filed Under Uncategorized | By Melissa Heald | Leave a Comment
Colorlines, a national newsmagazine on race and politics, published We’re here. We’re sexual. GET USED TO IT., an article about abstinence-only sex education. That author, Barbara Miner, explores the class and racial implications of abstinence-only sex ed. She also highlights that since sex isn’t even portrayed as an option and traditional gender roles are often heavily relied on, young people (especially women) receive no education about healthy sexuality or their right to say no.
May
15
Racism and sexism in the presidential race
Filed Under Social Justice | By Melissa Heald | Leave a Comment
This week the Washington Post ran a column about the sexism Hillary Clinton faces throughout this election, and an article about the racism confronting Barack Obama.
These are both important issues to explore in our culture. The idea that racism and sexism no longer exist, but are relics of our past is all-too-common, and such wishful thinking only serves to exacerbate the problem. If we insist that nothing is wrong, we can never move forward.
In addition to exploring racism and sexism, it’s important not to get caught up in what some not-so-affectionately refer to as Oppression Olympics. ALL forms of oppression, whether it be based on race, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, class, age or ability, are persistent and damanging problems in our culture. Arguing about which groups have it worst are futile and distract from the vital work of decontructing the beliefs that support all oppression.
May
14
A rape survivor’s journey
Filed Under Media Commentary, Social Justice | By Melissa Heald | Leave a Comment
Joanna Connors wrote a five part series chronicling her experience as a rape victim and, ultimately, survivor, for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Beyond discussing her own personal journey, Joanna explores some race and class issues stemming from the fact that she is white and her attacker was black.
During pretrial meetings, he told me I was an ideal victim, because as a reporter I noticed details. He didn’t add that I was white, educated and had a career, but I understood that he meant that, too.
She writes about various class and race issues that impacted her life and that of her attacker, as well as how that influenced what happened after the rape. These dynamics and Connor’s thought about them serve as an excellent beginning to a larger conversation about race, class and sexual violence in America. Who is the “ideal victim” and what happens to those who don’t meet that standard? Whose voices are heard? How do we go about changing these norms?
May
14
Sexual Assault News
Filed Under News Digest | By Melissa Heald | Leave a Comment
KSAT- San Antonio
8 Sex Offenders Attend SA Public Schools
CBS 4- El Paso
Alleged Victim Takes The Stand in Priest Sexual Assault Trial
Jacksonville Daily Progress – by Kelly Young
Two men arrested for Shady Brook assault
KSAT- San Antonio
Man Sentenced To 50 Years For Child Sex Assaults
Austin American-Statesman – by Sue Banerjee
Texas School for the Deaf employee arrested on charges of improper relationship
May
13
Sexual Assault News
Filed Under News Digest | By Melissa Heald | Leave a Comment
The UK Times – by Sonia Verma
Federal judge rules Iraq ‘gang-rape victim’ can seek trial in US
An American woman who claims that she was gang-raped by coworkers in Baghdad while employed by Halliburton/KBR, a defence contractor, can take her case to trial, a federal judge has ruled.
KSAT- San Antonio
Jury Returns Guilty Verdict in Rape Trial
El Paso Times – by Erica Molina Johnson
Trial begins of Catholic priest accused of sexual assault in El Paso
May
12
Sexual Assault News
Filed Under News Digest | By Melissa Heald | Leave a Comment
Beaumont Enterprise – by Sarah Moore
Prostitution case suspects could be victims of human trafficking
redOrbit – by Joe Johnson
Parents Sue Over Sexual Assault They Claim Their Child Was Abused By a Fellow Disabled Classmate
Thefacts.com – by John Tompkins
Jury acquits WC man of sexual assault
WOAI San Antonio – by Demond Fernandez
Former SAC Employee Convicted of Rape
KSAT- San Antonio
Police Impersonator Found Guilty Of Sexual Assault
May
9
Sexual Assault News
Filed Under News Digest | By Melissa Heald | Leave a Comment
New York Times – by the Associated Press
Marine in Japan Cleared of Rape but Convicted of Lesser Charges
New York Times – by Mark Landler
Austria’s Dungeon Man: ‘I Must Have Been Crazy’
Fort Worth Star-Telegram – by Bryon Okada
Ex-inmate’s suit names Fort Worth diocese, jailed priest
KFOX El Paso – by Monica Balderrama
Former Police Officer Sentenced To Prison
The facts.com – by Nathaniel Lukefahr
Woman reports sexual assault
Waco Tribune – by Emily Ingram and Erin Quinn
POLICE NEWS: Man arrested in girl’s sex assault
May
9
Sexual Assault News
Filed Under News Digest | By Melissa Heald | Leave a Comment
Dallas Morning News – by Jeff Carlton
Most abuse-related firings, suspensions came from 4 schools
Dallas Morning News – by Alfredo Corchado
Polygamists from Texas unwelcome in Mexico Mormon community
Times Recorder News
Grandfather nabbed for downloading child pornography
May
8
Sexual Assault News
Filed Under News Digest | By Melissa Heald | 1 Comment
Dallas Morning News – by Jacquielynn Floyd
Nagging issues remain in case of woman who cried ‘rape’
Dallas Morning News – by the Associated Press
Man who shot wife’s lover says he thought she was raped
WOAI San Antonio – by Leila Walsh
Reports of Sexual Assault Up at Lackland AFB
Tyler Morning Telegraph – by Casey Knaupp
Siblings Testify They Were Forced Into Sexual Acts
KXAN- NBC Austin
Teen sex goes on trial in Williamson County
KSAT- San Antonio
Victim Testifies In Fake-Cop Sexual Assault Case
Fort Worth Star-Telegram – by the Associated Press
Interpol seeks public help in identifying sexual abuse suspect
Fort Worth Star-Telegram – by Bryon Okada
Priest sentenced for sex with inmates at Fort Worth facility
WOAI San Antonio – by Brian Collister
Claims of Sexual Assault at Immigration Facility
Washington Post – by the Associated Press
Mental health is latest Texas agency to bear abuse criticism
Washington Post – by the Associated Press
Calif. declines to charge De Anza ballplayers in rape claim
New York Times – by Stephen Holden
Movie Review: XXY
Washington Post – by Alan Mozes
Virtual Reality Therapy May Help PTSD Patients
May
5
E-harassment criminal statute declared unconstitutional
Filed Under Public Policy | By Karen Amacker | 1 Comment
We’re a little late reporting on this, but if you haven’t seen it yet, Not Guilty posted last week about the Court of Criminal Appeals in Fort Forth striking down a harassment statute aimed at curbing harassment via electronic media (e-mail, etc.).
Basically a criminal case was brought in Denton County under the specific part of the harassment statute that concerned “repeated electronic communications” that arose out of a divorce situation. The defendant was convicted and appealed on the issues of factual sufficiency of the evidence, the jury charge and the constitutionality of the statute. In a rare instance, the court addressed an issue that was raised for the first time on appeal and was not raised at trial. This only happened because the defendant was not arguing that the statute was unconstitutional as it applied to him but that the statute is facially invalid.
The court had problems with multiple parts of the statute. They said the words, “likely to harass, annoy, alarm, abuse, torment, embarrass, or offend another” were vague and that it would be particularly hard to give a meaning to “annoy” or “alarm” because they are “susceptible to uncertainties of meaning.” The statute’s requirement of “repeated electronic communications” is not defined. How many emails equals “repeated” three? four? Also over how long? Could “three annoying emails over a five-year period” make a person guilty under this statute? The result is that the rarest of events occurred which is a criminal appellate decision ended with the words “we reverse the trial court’s judgment and render judgment of acquittal.”