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u.s. news Diasabra 3 Juli 2021

Biden backs changes in military sexual assault prosecution

(AP) — President Joe Biden on “I look forward to working with
Friday put his stamp of approval Congress to implement these nec-
on a long-debated change to the essary reforms and promote a work
military justice system that would environment that is free from sexual
remove decisions on prosecuting assault and harassment for every one
sexual assault cases from military of our brave service members,” Biden
commanders. said in a statement endorsing the rec-
ommendations.
Biden, however, stopped short of
backing a congressional effort to strip Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., has
commanders of oversight of all major the support of 66 senators for a bill
crimes. that would have independent pros-
ecutors handle all felony cases that
The president formally approved call for more than a year in prison.
more than two dozen recommenda- But other key lawmakers and leaders
tions made by an independent review of the military services have balked at
commission on sexual assault in the including all major crimes. There are
military. The changes include shifting concerns that stripping control of all
decisions on prosecuting sexual as- crimes from commanders could hurt ment these necessary reforms,” but der military law.
sault cases to special victims prosecu- military readiness, erode command she sidestepped whether he would
tors outside the chain of command to authority and require far more time be supportive of the proposed legisla- Austin’s support came even as mili-
remove any appearance of conflicts of and resources. tion. tary service secretaries and chiefs, in
interest. memos to Austin and letters to Capi-
Biden hailed Gillibrand’s work on Last month, Defense Secretary Lloyd tol Hill, said they were wary about
The military’s sexual assault response the issue. But he asked the commis- Austin, for the first time, voiced sup- the sexual assault change, and laid out
coordinators and victims advocates sion to focus only on addressing the port for taking sexual assault and re- greater reservations on more broadly
also would be removed from the problems of sexual assault and ha- lated crimes away from the chain of revamping the military justice sys-
command structure system. rassment in the military, said a senior command and letting independent tem.
administration official who was not military lawyers handle them.
Reports of sexual assaults in the mili- authorized to comment publicly and Gillibrand has argued against limiting
tary have steadily gone up since 2006, spoke on the condition of anonymity. He issued a memo to Pentagon lead- the change to sexual assault, saying it
according to Defense Department re- Asked about the Gillibrand legisla- ership Friday directing that they im- would be discriminatory and set up
ports, including a 13% jump in 2018 tion, White House press secretary Jen mediately move on the commission what some call a “pink” court to deal
and a 3% increase in 2019. Psaki said that Biden “looks forward recommendation including adding with crimes usually involving female
to working with Congress to imple- sexual harassment as an offense un- victims.

Fox News fined $1 million for sex harassment and retaliation

(AP) — The New York bitration. O’Reilly lost their jobs over News Media. The commis- will be monitored by outside
City Commission on Hu- misconduct allegations. sion said it did not interview inspectors four times in each
man Rights has fined Fox The penalty stems from an anyone who came forward of the next two years.
News $1 million, the larg- investigation that began in Several other women have after Scott took over in 2018.
est penalty in its history, 2017 following several re- come forward with lawsuits Malalis said she hopes the
for violations of laws pro- ports of what the commission and their own harassment al- “We are pleased to reach an provision requiring Fox not
tecting against sexual ha- called “rampant abuse” at the legations, including former amicable resolution of this to insist upon mandatory
rassment and job retalia- popular news and opinion Fox anchor Megyn Kelly. legacy matter,” Fox said in a arbitration to settle disputes
tion. outlet. statement. “Fox News Me- — forums that often ben-
The $1 million fine groups dia has already been in full efit employers and keep al-
As part of a settlement agree- The first indication of prob- four separate “willful and compliance across the board, legations secret — will be a
ment announced Tuesday, lems at the channel came in wanton” violations that each but cooperated with the New model for similar settlements
Fox also agreed to mandate 2016 when former anchor carried a maximum penalty York City Commission on in the future. That provi-
anti-harassment training for Gretchen Carlson charged of $250,000. The commis- Human Rights to continue sion will be in place for four
its New York-based staff and that now-deceased network sion would not identify the enacting extensive preventive years. The commission said
contributors and to tempo- chief Roger Ailes had made people involved in those measures against all forms of that everyone who talked to
rarily allow people who allege unwanted advances and de- cases, or whether there were discrimination and harass- them about harassment and
misconduct under human railed her career when she more. ment.” discrimination issues at Fox
rights law to bring claims and rejected him. Both Ailes and were hampered by contrac-
not be subject to binding ar- former Fox personality Bill Human rights officials said The commission said that tual requirements for arbitra-
they hoped the large penalty women who rejected advanc- tion.
would deter bad behavior at es were retaliated against with
any workplace. fewer appearances on the air People with complaints will
and bad work assignments have their choice of where
“If people would dare to break and had their text messages they can have their accusa-
the law and discriminate or spied upon. tions aired, she said. The
harass people, there will be settlement does not affect
stiff penalties they would Fox News “ensured that confidentiality agreements,
have to pay,” said Carmelyn those who have complained in which some employees
Malalis, chairwoman of the have no future” working at leaving a company as a result
city Commission on Human the network, it said in its of others’ misdeeds agree not
Rights. findings. to discuss the matter in ex-
change for money.
Fox has characterized the cas- Besides the requirement for
es as the product of a previous training, the commission said Since 2017 the commission
regime and said the network Fox must maintain an anony- has filed 521 claims of gen-
has cleaned up its act under mous hotline for employees der-based workplace harass-
the leadership of Suzanne to report harassment or job ment, assessing $4.5 million
Scott, current CEO of Fox retaliation. Fox’s compliance in damages and penalties.