[DV_listserv] Peyton Manning

[Domestic Violence issues]

A report has (re-) emerged about Peyton Manning (Future NFL Hall of Famer and QB for this year's Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos) and his sexual harassment/assault (in the civil context) of a well-established athletic trainer (and the Director of Health and Wellness) while he was a student-athlete at the University of Tennessee.

The woman, who I will herein refer to as the victim, ultimately sued the University of Tennessee, alleging 33 different complaints of systemic sexual harassment. Manning's physical and sexual harassment of the victim has been characterized as the "tipping point" for her lawsuit; she had made numerous complaints to her supervisors about the culture of gender-based harassment directed at her and other female employees prior to the Manning incident. It appears that her complaints were categorically ignored, dismissed, or she was, in turn, accused of provoking or participating in the incidents about which she complained.

Ultimately, the victim settled with the University and left her position. She took a different position at a different school in a different state. However, on two different occasions she later sued Manning-once for defamation and the other for breaking a disclosure agreement. It appears that both lawsuits were also settled.

The incident and the victim's complaint has re-emerged due to new documents obtained by media sources. Reading the various articles and referenced documents (excerpts of depositions, court pleadings, etc.) it struck me how little has changed in the nearly 20 years since the victim's initial lawsuit was settled: whether it is domestic violence, sexual violence, or gender-based violence--they are all rooted, in part, in the objectification of a person. Once you objectify someone, that person is more easily abused and then discredited, dismissed, and discarded.

Here's a link to one article about the Manning/University of Tennessee lawsuit:

http://deadspin.com/how-tennessee-s-sexual-harassment-allegations-caught-up-1759118435




*****CONFIDENTIALITY  NOTICE*****

This e-mail may contain information that is privileged, confidential, or otherwise exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the addressee or it appears from the context or otherwise that you have received this e-mail in error, please advise me immediately by reply e-mail, keep the contents confidential, and immediately delete the message and any attachments from your system. 

************************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/dv_listserv/attachments/20160217/7e29b5ae/attachment.html>