Legal Momentum Reaches Settlement with Construction Firm for Four Tradeswomen
On Monday, October 27, the Southern District of New York approved a consent decree settling the case of four women construction workers against their former employer, Vamco Sheet Metals, for gender discrimination that they reported they were subjected to in the workplace. According to the lawsuit, they were assigned low-level tasks like fetching coffee, had a supervisor refuse to acknowledge their presence, and called an "old hag." One woman, who needed to express breast milk for her infant, was denied a clean, private place to do so. Worst of all, they were unfairly terminated. Legal Momentum represented the women in a lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) after an EEOC investigation. The consent decree commits Vamco to implement anti-discrimination practices that will protect future employees—including accommodating nursing employees—and will help ensure that women get a fair shake on the worksite. Celebrating a Strong Partnership with the EEOC at Equal Opportunity in the Workplace Event
Legal Momentum's senior staff and several board members met with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Chair Jenny Yang and selected guests at a breakfast celebrating Equal Opportunity in the Workplace on October 29 in Washington, D.C. Chair Yang spoke about the effectiveness of Legal Momentum's partnership with the EEOC and how, together, we achieve significant results in workplace discrimination cases. Carol Robles-Román spoke about how Legal Momentum works with public and private employers to develop effective workplace domestic violence policies that address employees both as victims and as abusers. Legal Momentum Wins Federal Grant to Develop Training for Sexual Assault Victim AdvocatesLegal Momentum will be partnering with the federal government on a new initiative to train victim advocates to more effectively protect victims' legal rights, such as privacy and confidentiality. Often, the advocates victims turn to in domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers are not legal experts and don't know how to effectively guide victims through the legal process in the aftermath of a sexual assault. Legal Momentum has been awarded a grant from the Department of Justice's Office of Violence against Women (OVW) to develop training materials that will help advocates in places such as rape crisis centers defend the legal rights of the victims they help. We will present the trainings nationally, and provide assistance to victim services organizations on effective implementation. When victims' rights are respected, perpetrators are more likely to be successfully prosecuted. New York City Council Testimony on Campus Sexual Assault
On October 27, National Judicial Education Program (NJEP) Program Associate Eliana Theodorou (at right in photo) testified on behalf of Legal Momentum at a hearing on campus sexual assault convened by the New York City Council committees on Higher Education, Women's Issues, and Civil Rights. She spoke about Legal Momentum's work and provided the Council with suggestions and best practices for addressing this problem at schools in New York City. These include informing victims of the full range of their legal options, primary prevention and affirmative consent policies, ensuring that policies and services are victim-centered, and maintaining survivors' confidentiality. "Sexual violence at school is one of the most important obstacles today to young women achieving economic and political equality and a top priority for Legal Momentum," Eliana said. She also provided the council with copies of several of Legal Momentum's resources for students. NJEP Educates Court Professionals around the CountryLegal Momentum's National Judicial Education Program (NJEP) educates multidisciplinary court-related professionals nationwide. When judges believe myths about rape and domestic violence, they may make biased and dangerous decisions. Dedicated domestic violence courts where judges have expertise lead to better outcomes. NJEP Project Attorney Claudia Bayliff was the keynote speaker at the launch of Oklahoma's first dedicated domestic violence court, where the Oklahoma Bar Association Family Law Division honored her for her leadership in addressing violence against women. Legal Momentum's Senior Vice President and Director of NJEP, Lynn Hecht Schafran, Vice President for Government Relations Lisalyn Jacobs, and Claudia Bayliff celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) at the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) annual meeting in San Diego. NAWJ worked closely with Legal Momentum to pass VAWA. Legal Momentum led the opening plenary with an overview of the challenges to VAWA's passage and reauthorizations, and its many important achievements. As an example of the education projects VAWA made possible, Claudia presented a workshop based on NJEP's online curriculum, Raped or "Seduced"? How Language Helps Shape Our Response to Sexual Violence, which stresses the importance of using appropriate language about sexual violence. She also gave the widely acclaimed language presentation at the International Conference on Forensic Nursing Science and Practice in Phoenix, Arizona. Teaching Students about Their Title IX Rights
As part of Legal Momentum's efforts to combat the epidemic of campus sexual assault, Senior Staff Attorney Christina Brandt-Young was a panelist at "Responding to Sexual Assault: A Teach-In" sponsored by Columbia University's Institute for Research on Women, Gender, and Sexuality on October 23. The other panelists represented the Crime Victims Treatment Center, student organization No Red Tape, and the Center for Excellence in Preventing Sexual Assault. Christina emphasized that schools shouldn't wait for assaults to happen before responding. Under Title IX, educational institutions are required to provide a safe environment where students can learn free of sexual harassment and violence. She also spoke about students' Title IX rights at a previous teach-in held at Columbia in April, when she was quoted in a Columbia Spectator article, Amid wave of Title IX complaints, Columbia stands out. Legal Momentum 10th Annual Women of Achievement Awards to Be Celebrated in MarchSave the Date! March 5, 2015
To become a sponsor, purchase tickets or reserve a table at the event, go to www.legalmomentum.org/woa2015, email friends@legalmomentum.org, or call 212-925-6636, extension 169 or 155. Legal Momentum Honorary Board Member Muriel Fox Honored by Veteran Feminists of America |
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November 17, 2014
