MeToo Hits Close to Home

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December 16, 2017
Edward Smith

MeToo Hits Close to Home

I’m Ed Smith, a College Campus Sexual Assault Lawyer in Sacramento. A retired professor with UC Davis is facing allegations of sexual assault by a former student. The survivor’s story is part of the current #MeToo campaign trending on social media. The alleged incident in Davis purportedly happened 30 years ago when the injured party was a freshman at the school.

#MeToo

In his blog titled #MeToo Arrives at the University of Davis, the current UC Davis Administrator bringing these allegations shared his story of past abuse as part of a larger campaign to raise awareness and denounce sexual assault known as #MeToo. The author said that he found the courage to speak out in part because of the #MeToo movement, trending virally since October with many high profile public figures being confronted by survivors.

Non-consensual Sexual Predation

Sexual assault often involves power dynamics between the abuser and their targets.  In his blog post, the survivor of the attack thirty years ago recalls being invited into the home of his professor and being groped and violated. His account depicts a terrifying event-many people have reported similar feelings of shock and powerlessness as the assault plays out. The power dynamics in cases such as these can also affect a person’s ability to react out of fear of retribution. When children and young people are involved, the seniority of their abuser can often intimidate survivors. Sexual assault can occur in many settings; including school, work, church, and even the doctors office. It’s never acceptable.

Immediate Response

Officials with the university responded to the accusations swiftly, revoking the formerly distinguished professor’s honorary emeritus titles and are removing him from an upcoming event. The accused professor- now 70 years old and retired since 2014- has also issued a statement of remorse, but has not openly acknowledged the accusation as accurate.

More from Sacramento College Campus Sexual Assault Lawyer, Ed Smith:

College Campus Sexual Assault Lawyer in Sacramento

I’m Ed Smith, a College Campus Sexual Assault Lawyer in Sacramento. Sexual assault is a crime and deserves justice. If you or your loved one has been hurt in an assault, I may be able to help. Please contact me right away at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for confidential, free and friendly, compassionate advice. Alternatively, you can also get ahold of me online through my website, AutoAccident.com.

My experience serving the Sacramento and Northern California community goes back over 35 years in matters of personal injury and wrongful death. You can browse reviews left by some of my past clients on: Yelp, Google, and Avvo.

I have successfully tried cases with million-dollar awards, earning me the recognition of the Million Dollar Forum. Summaries of my previous cases can be found on my Verdicts and Settlements page.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons, With You by Hillary for America. Public Domain

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