From: To: Subject: Outrage of the Week Date: Saturday, August 31, 2002 5:34 AM ________________________________________________________________ Laura Sheridan Crutcher Loved Her Infant and Her Job. Read this month's Our Daily Lives: "Mom with Day Care Returns to Work a Day at a Time." www.womensenews.org If this email was forwarded to you and you would like your own free daily or weekly subscription, go to http://www.womensenews.org/subscribe.cfm Also, Women's Enews is fully archived. Visit the award-winning Women's Enews site to search for past stories and post your thoughts as a Letter to the Editor. http://www.womensenews.org ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Here's today's update: OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK Judge Dismisses Sex Harassment Suit against Ford (WOMENSENEWS)--A circuit court judge in Michigan dismissed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Ford Motor Company, citing interviews with reporters in which the plaintiff and her lawyer discussed evidence that was part of the public record. Circuit Court Judge William J. Giovan said the woman, Justine Maldonado, and her lawyer had discussed the 1995 conviction of defendant Daniel P. Bennett on charges of exposing himself to three young women, The New York Times reported Tuesday. The case was dismissed last week. Though there was no order forbidding discussion of her case, Giovan said Maldonado and her lawyer broke Michigan law by publicizing a conviction that has been expunged and that they had discussed Bennett's conviction to prejudice potential jurors. Bennett's conviction was expunged from his record last year after meeting the state's good-behavior requirements. "The behavior in question has been intentional, premeditated and intransigent," Giovan wrote. "It was designed to reach the farthest boundaries of the public consciousness." Maldonado, an inspector at the Ford assembly plant in Wixom, Mich., filed the lawsuit two years ago against Bennett and the company. She is one of four women who have sued Ford in cases that involved accusations against Bennett. Maldonado contended that Bennett exposed himself to her, demanded oral sex and followed her home. A Ford investigation found that Maldonado's accusations, and those of the other women, were without merit, company officials said. Three of the suits have now been dismissed. Maldonado said she planned to appeal and another plaintiff already has. "Women have the right to talk about abuse," said Miranda Massie, Maldonado's lawyer. "That's what this comes down to." ________________________________________________________________ Copyright 2002 Women's Enews. The information contained in this Women's Enews report may--with the prior written authorization of Women's Enews--be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed. To obtain permission, reply to this email and provide the publication or broadcast date and the name of the newspaper, magazine, radio or television station, cable network, Web site,newsletter or list serve where it will be replicated. Please include the approximate size of the audience you intend to reach. ________________________________________________________________ Women's Enews is a nonprofit independent news service covering issues of concern to women and their allies. We are supported by our readers and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, the Rockefeller Family Fund and the Starry Night Fund. The donations from readers are critical to our success. They are an important measure that we are serving our audience--the yardstick that our foundation supporters will measure us by. Donate now by going to http://www.womensenews.org/support.cfm ________________________________________________________________ Women's Enews subscribers may select whether to receive a daily full text, daily summary or weekly summary. To change your email address, send mail to membersvcs@womensenews.org. To change the frequency of your mail or to cancel your subscription, send a message to Member Services or use our online form: http://www.womensenews.org/update_subscription.cfm New subscribers can send a message to membersvcs@womensenews.org ________________________________________________________________