As a 73 year old man I am appalled by the utter insensitivity and outright boorishness of too many men's comments here. It is clear that many men continue to consider harassment of women unimportant, "minor," "just the way the world is," and the like. As men, usually white I note (as I am), they rarely encounter systematic harassment so frankly have no understanding of what it entails. Nor have they common empathy, which one would have thought was part of being human. And as for the many comments about all worthy cases finding willing lawyers, come on, be real.
8
Its great what the Times is doing but when you have $ to create such a fund, how do you decide what social cause to devote it to? Age discrimination affects all, and so does wrongful imprisonment and abuses of immigrants, etc., and yet you chose sexual harassment of women. How about considering the legal needs of the most vulnerable members of our society first instead of what is popular now?
4
You realize that the Times (as in NY Times) is not involved in the #TimesUp movement and legal fund, right?
6
Maybe the point is that sexual harassment of women IS important!
7
Grateful to The National Women's Law Center and the important work they are doing. Thank you to all the women who are standing up.
15
I believe Ms. Pitre. I am very sorry for the treatment she and all the other working women have faced. I have also faced unfair loss of income in what should have been professional settings. I wish you justice in your lawsuit. I hope other retail workers sign on, that laws are changed and recompense given. In the photo the eyes say it all. A haunting image of one woman's reality. A piercing realization that change is a-coming. Fight on and know that other women stand with you.
11
Oh yes, lawyers and money...what can go wrong with that.
As stated in this article - the law center will direct women to a lawyer that "might be willing to take their case," or more accurately - IS THERE MONEY TO BE MADE.
But the odds are if there is a settlement the winner will most likely be the lawyer. With their client being dragged through the system, hopefully walk with a small settlement, and then a record of "LAW SUIT" on their record. But lawyers never tell clients that since they know they can probably make a quick buck in early mediation.
***WARNING*** Ask a lot of questions before filing papers. Papers that will follow you in a negative light even though you're the victim in the case.
4
This woman claims she was groped at a previous employer and sued them too. But her attorney didn't suspect her of fabricating her story about the Walmart groper? Why not? This is evidence that this whole movement is radicalized and without good judgement. An national over reaction lacking credibility.
9
Yes, one could look at it that way OR, maybe, that women being sexually harassed on the job happens with monotonous regularity.
All indications point to this phenomenon being a recurring theme.
15
Will this effort include the women abused and harassed by Democratic politicians, like Eric Schneiderman, Al Franken and others who are "good" on women's issues? Or is this just another politically motivated hit job on politically incorrect targets?
5
You mean "were" good on women's issues. Because they at least resigned and left public office unlike Republicans Trump, Greitens, Vitter, etc. who are still defiantly in office collecting a paycheck from the taxpayers and making policy.
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Yes, by Jove you’re so clever, a woman eking out a barely living wage with little or no benefits at Walmart is in a conspiracy with “Hollywood” (by which you mean African-American, Latino, Jewish, gay, performers - with their mega powers) to overthrow wealthy elite business executives, politicians and media.
Now who is really drinking the Cool Aid.
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Even “Jesus of the Republican Party” has forgiven Donald Trump and other predators because they are white, right wing and currently in intoxicating power.
10
Given the origins of the initial funds, I'm surprised the National Women's Law center would get involved doing intakes for the Times Up legal defense fund. I, and other victims, consider these funds dirty money, a red herring used to deflect responsibility from the studios, agents, business managers, and lawyers who have directly benefited by cultivating an environment where Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, and Harvey Weinstein can be celebrated artists and monsters, all at the same exact time. The a-list actresses who have attached themselves to this cause, and its fundraising, are married to men who have been accused of abusing their power or work for the very institutions and corporations that allowed abuses of power. Any way you shake it, its toxic money. Collected to help a small group of very powerful white men feel better about their actions and professional associations alongside known predators. A type of moral cure for what can never be publicly or legally adjudicated. That any reputable non-profit would get involved is extremely disturbing. Perhaps that is why just 2500 cases have materialized when we know there are so many more.
2
So, the TimesUp fund is dirty because some of the women involved are married to men who work in Hollywood or they themselves work in Hollywood--by your reasoning they should quit their careers and not work in order to remain pure? By that logic everyone who works for WalMart should quit and for that matter, all women should quit their jobs everywhere because most companies and institutions have sexual harassment and poor policies to address it!
8
Have any readers ever heard of a CONTINGENCY FEE? The lawyer takes the case of a low-income plaintiff with the expectation that the plaintiff will prevail. If the case wins, the lawyer gets 33% of the proceeds If the case loses however, the plaintiff owes nothing. If these cases had any merit they would have been snatched up by the plaintiff's bar. I have profound doubts that these plaintiffs will prevail.
7
My first thought was 'deep pocket theory' followed by 'contingency fee'. There are very valid monetary reasons these cases aren't being pursued. Everyone has costs, even lawyers taking on these types of cases.
2
Your post = Common and no wisdom whatever. You do not live in her state, you have not stated you are a lawyer, and you have not read her complaint in fill. Hence, you do not have all the information to make your comment.
9
Some lawyers won't take cases unless there's a likely big payoff, but that doesn't mean the cases aren't valid.
3
This is NOT money well spent. Plaintiffs' lawyers already have all the incentive in the world to take legitimate cases - they receive a set percentage of the recovery. There are thousands and thousands of discrimination suits already filed each year - many of them frivolous. We surely don't need to encourage even more.
8
Her case does not frivolous. And I suspect lawyers are not anxious to be suing Walmart and their deep pockets. A lot of work for an attorney and not a large settlement likely so there is no incentive for them, easier money elsewhere.
14
Excellent! The most vulnerable women are given a chance to fight back.
40
My aunt used to work for Walmart. She too was bullied and harassed by her male supervisor. He did the same thing to other female employees. When she and they complained Walmart responded by forcing them to transfer to another location and if they were unwilling to do so Walmart found reasons why the female employees should be fired. The male supervisor was never reprimanded or transferred and continued his behavior.
The same pattern of cover up and looking the other way that we've seen in high profile cases exists in every profession in our country. Pushing back by suing them is the only way we're going to change things. No one deserves to be harassed when all they want to do is work. No one deserves to have their dreams crushed.
Money equals power. This fund is leveling the playing field. Frankly, now that the supreme court has ruled against class action lawsuits this fund is the only chance the working poor have to stand up for themselves.
57
Women funding women to make sure men never abuse us again. Love it.
37
Congratulations to Times Up for focusing on the unheralded women in low paying jobs who have few or no options to make their voice heard.
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