discrimination – Michmutters
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Australia

SA support service combatting workplace sexual harassment gets $2 million funding boost

Tessa Jones* was forced to give up a job she loved after a prolonged and traumatizing experience of sexual harassment.

The 28-year-old said her complaints went nowhere because her alleged harasser was a senior staff member who laughed when she asked him to respect boundaries.

“I just kept saying, ‘stop’ and kept saying, ‘I can’t take this anymore’ and there was no change in behaviour,” she told ABC News.

“Dealing with it was really, really difficult because I was so young, I had no tools to deal with it and I didn’t understand what was going on and why.

“I trusted this person completely — it was a bit of a nightmare.”

Ms Jones — who is now a self-employed creative director — turned to the Working Women’s Center in Adelaide for support after deciding to leave the toxic working environment.

“For me, I had to go through this, I couldn’t go around it, I couldn’t ignore it. I had to go straight through it and the center helped me do that,” she said.

The South Australian Government will give the center $2 million over the next three years so it can employ more lawyers as its caseload continues to increase.

SA Attorney-General Kyam Maher said the funding was “really important” and aligned with recommendations made by federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins during her 2021 review.

“Many women don’t just suffer sexual harassment at work, there’s often underpayment of wages so it’s critically important that women have a resource like the Working Women’s Centre,” he said.

Abbey Kendall stands in front of a park bench and a tree.
Working Women’s Center director Abbey Kendall says the funding will help employ more lawyers for the service.(Supplied)

Center director Abbey Kendall said demand for the service was “huge”.

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Categories
US

Brookline PD chief on leave amid allegations of policy violations

Officials in the Massachusetts town of Brookline have placed the chief of police on leave after he was accused of violating a town policy. Brookline Town Administrator Mel Kleckner said in a statement that last week, town officials were made aware of multiple allegations that police Chief Ashley Gonzalez violated the town’s policy against discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation. The town immediately began an initial review of the allegations and Gonzalez was placed on paid administrative leave Friday afternoon, according to Kleckner.” The town has a strict zero-tolerance policy against discrimination , sexual harassment and retaliation committed by or against its employees,” Kleckner said in his statement. “We are committed to supporting the investigation, which will determine the facts, and responding accordingly.” Kleckner said the town has hired Quincy-based Comprehensive Investigations and Consulting to conduct a comprehensive review of the facts and circumstances surrounding the allegations. The outside investigation by Comprehensive is being led by former Secretary of Public Safety and Worcester County First Assistant District Attorney Daniel Bennett and former Massachusetts State Police Col. Kerry Gilpin.Gonzalez will remain on paid leave pending the outcome of the review by Comprehensive Investigations and Consulting.In March , Kleckner selected Gonzalez as his recommendation to be Brookline’s new police chief.The Brookline Select Board then confirmed Gonzalez’s appointment as chief of police in April.Gonzalez has more than 33 years of experience in law enforcement and was most recently the chief of the Austin Independent School District Police Department in Texas.

Officials in the Massachusetts town of Brookline have placed the chief of police on leave after he was accused of violating a town policy.

Brookline Town Administrator Mel Kleckner said in a statement that last week, town officials were made aware of multiple allegations that police Chief Ashley Gonzalez violated the town’s policy against discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation.

The town immediately began an initial review of the allegations and Gonzalez was placed on paid administrative leave Friday afternoon, according to Kleckner.

“The town has a strict zero-tolerance policy against discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation committed by or against its employees,” Kleckner said in his statement. “We are committed to supporting the investigation, which will determine the facts, and responding accordingly.”

Kleckner said the town has hired Quincy-based Comprehensive Investigations and Consulting to conduct a comprehensive review of the facts and circumstances surrounding the allegations. The outside investigation by Comprehensive is being led by former Secretary of Public Safety and Worcester County First Assistant District Attorney Daniel Bennett and former Massachusetts State Police Col. Kerry Gilpin.

Gonzalez will remain on paid leave pending the outcome of the review by Comprehensive Investigations and Consulting.

In March, Kleckner selected Gonzalez as his recommendation to be Brookline’s new police chief. The Brookline Select Board then confirmed Gonzalez’s appointment as chief of police in April.

Gonzalez has more than 33 years of experience in law enforcement and was most recently the chief of the Austin Independent School District Police Department in Texas.

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Categories
Australia

Gender pay gap remains worst for women in WA despite uptick in those working, report finds

Women are participating in the workforce at a higher rate than ever before in Western Australia but they still face the biggest gender pay gap in the country, a report has found.

The WA government’s 2022 Women’s Report Card — which measures the health, safety, economic independence and leadership opportunities of the state’s women — says female participation in the workforce is the highest it has ever been.

The report shows female participation in the workforce has reached 64.5 per cent, a rise of more than 3 per cent since 2007.

Among these working women, just over 50 per cent are employed full-time, compared with 82.6 per cent of men.

A row of people in chef uniforms cooking and preparing on a stainless steel bench.
Female participation in the WA workforce is up to more than 64 per cent, the report says.(ABC News: Cason Ho)

The report also reveals changing attitudes on gender roles.

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Categories
US

University instructor charged in shooting death of student

CARROLTON, Ga. — A university instructor in Georgia has been charged with killing an 18-year-old student who was fatally shot while sitting in a car.

The Carrollton Police Department said in a news release that Richard Sigman, 47, is charged with murder and aggravated assault for the shooting death of Anna Jones, 18. Police said they believe Jones was killed when Sigman shot into a parked car following an argument with a man at a pizza restaurant. The shooting happened shortly after midnight Saturday.

Police said a man told security that Sigman had threatened to shoot him during an argument, and security then asked Sigman to leave. Investigators believe when Sigman left, he walked to the parking deck and started shooting into a parked vehicle, hitting Jones. Friends drove Jones to a hospital where she was pronounced dead, police said.

It is not immediately clear if Sigman has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.

The University of West Georgia told news outlets in a statement that Sigman’s employment has been terminated. A current course catalog listed Sigman as a lecturer in business administration.

The university said Jones was a student at the university.

“On behalf of the university, we wish to convey our deepest condolences to Anna’s family and many friends. We know this news is difficult to process and affects many members of our university community. We ask that you keep Anna’s family, friends, and all who have been touched by this tragedy in your thoughts during this tremendously difficult time,” University of West Georgia President Dr. Brendan Kelly said in the statement.

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