Latest news with #CivilRightsDepartment
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Four claims in Vin Diesel sex abuse suit dropped, but numerous allegations remain
Vin Diesel successfully landed a legal victory in the sexual battery lawsuit brought by his former assistant, Asta Jonasson. Per Variety, earlier today, Judge Daniel M. Crowley dropped four employment discrimination claims against the actor but upheld allegations of sexual battery and wrongful termination. The suit stems from a 2010 incident in which Jonasson alleges that Diesel pinned her to a hotel wall and masturbated in front of her. Jonasson, who Diesel's production company hired in 2010, says that she was fired by the actor's sister hours after the incident, believing he dismissed her because 'she was no longer useful' to Diesel and 'resisted his sexual assaults.' Jonasson says she did not come forward earlier because she signed a preemptive NDA, which the Speak Out Act prevents the enforcement of in sexual abuse cases. Typically, the alleged 2010 incident would be outside the bounds of the statute of limitations, but the Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom in 2023, allows claims from as far back as 2009 to have their day in court. However, the accusations dismissed today were not covered under that legislation. In California, before filing a suit under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, the plaintiff must first file a complaint with the Civil Rights Department, and in 2010, the deadline was one year. Ultimately, Judge Crowley tossed the FEHA portion of the suit. The remaining allegations are damning for Diesel, to say the least, as he faces claims of retaliation, wrongful termination, sexual battery, negilgent supervision and retention, and infliction of emotional distress. The actor denied the allegations through his lawyer, who in 2023 said, 'There is clear evidence which completely refutes these outlandish allegations.' We await the evidence. More from A.V. Club Murderbot plays another game of "great scene, cringe scene" A teary Top Chef finds our final four in Milan Samuel L. Jackson might grab a Tulsa King spin-off
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sacramento train builder agrees to workplace review after racial harassment complaint
A German company with a large train manufacturing plant in Sacramento agreed to an independent review of its workplace practices after a worker reported race-based harassment, the California Civil Rights Department announced Wednesday. As part of the settlement, Siemens Mobility agreed to compensate the employee — who filed a complaint with the agency in 2023 — without admitting to any liability. That worker alleged that 'multiple co-workers over a period of several months would daily use derogatory terms either associated with Black people or Latinos,' according to a Civil Rights Department news release, which does not specify the amount of monetary compensation. The complainant 'identified as African American,' the department's public affairs staff clarified in an email to The Sacramento Bee. The employee, who worked at Siemens' Florin plant, claimed to have faced retaliation — including suspension and being escorted out of the French Road facility by security staff — for raising the concern about harassment, the news release said. A Siemens spokesperson, Kara Evanko, said that the claims of retaliation were 'false,' adding that the company 'is firmly committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination, intimidation, and harassment and denied the allegations in the complaint.' The eight-page settlement agreement specifies that Siemens Mobility has hired an outside consultant, approved by state regulators, to 'assess the efficacy of its equal employment opportunity practices' at the plant, which builds rolling stock. The consultant will look into any racial tensions, incidents of harassment and how the company handles complaints. The company will have to share with Civil Rights Department officials a written report by the consultant and then implement policies recommended by the consultant and the agency, or else return to mediation. 'There is no place for derogatory slurs in the workplace,' Civil Rights Director Kevin Kish said in a statement. 'Through this voluntary settlement, Siemens Mobility is doing the right thing to help protect workers in our state.' The Siemens Mobility facility in Florin is the company's headquarters for North American railway manufacturing. It employs over 2,500 people, according to the company's website. A unionization effort at the plant failed in March.
See - Sada Elbalad
04-06-2025
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
Judge Dismisses Four Claims in Assistant's Sexual Lawsuit against Vin Diesel, Some Remain
Yara Sameh Vin Diesel got a court to throw out four employment discrimination claims against him on Tuesday, but still faces allegations of sexual battery and wrongful termination brought by a former assistant. The assistant, Asta Jonasson, sued Diesel in 2023, alleging that he had accused the actor of groping her, forcibly kissing her, and faping in front of her in his hotel room in Atlanta in 2010. She claimed the alleged assault took place just over a week after Diesel and his production company, One Race Productions, hired her while filming Fast Five. Jonasson also claimed the production company fired her the next day in retaliation for resisting Diesel's advances. Diesel's lawyers previously stated that the actor denied 'generally and specifically, each and every allegation' leveled by Jonasson. Per the suit, Jonasson cited California's AB2777, which, like New York's Adult Survivors Act, allows some sexual misconduct claims to be filed in civil court regardless of whether the statute of limitations had passed. In addition to claims of sexual battery, wrongful termination, claims of retaliation, negligent supervision and retention, and infliction of emotional distress, Jonasson also sued Diesel for four claims under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). However, plaintiffs must first file an administrative complaint with the state Civil Rights Department (CRD) before they can file a lawsuit under the state Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). This gives the CRD time to evaluate the allegations and decide whether to accept the case for investigation. Diesel's attorneys argued that Jonasson's administrative complaint, required under FEHA, was submitted after the one-year deadline, and claimed California's extension of the statute of limitations for sexual assault lawsuits does not apply to administrative filings. Judge Daniel M. Crowley agreed with Diesel's lawyers and dismissed the four FEHA claims. 'Plaintiff's FEHA claims are time-barred because she failed to timely exhaust her administrative remedies by filing a CRD complaint within one year of the alleged adverse action, a jurisdictional requirement for a FEHA lawsuit,' Crowley wrote in Tuesday's ruling. Following the dismissal, Diesel's attorney, Bryan Freedman, said, 'It is unfortunate that a person who worked for the company for less than two weeks 15 years ago in another state is allowed to use the California court system to assert such baseless claims.' He added, 'Next, we will present irrefutable evidence that the remaining fictitious allegations alleged herein did not occur and finally end what remains of this maliciously filed lawsuit.' Matthew T. Hale, an attorney for Jonasson, commented, 'While we respectfully disagree with the court's decision on this limited legal issue, the Court made no factual findings that impact the remaining causes of action in this case. We will continue to advocate vigorously on behalf of our client, who remains committed to seeking justice.' read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan
News18
04-06-2025
- General
- News18
Vin Diesel Cleared of 4 Discrimination Charges, Still Faces Sexual Battery Lawsuit
Last Updated: A Los Angeles judge dismissed 4 employment discrimination claims against Vin Diesel, but allegations of sexual battery and wrongful termination by a former assistant remain active. Actor Vin Diesel no longer faces four discrimination-related charges in a lawsuit filed against him. However, the case is far from over. A Los Angeles judge dropped those specific claims on June 3, 2025, though more serious allegations, including sexual battery and wrongful termination, are still being considered in court. The lawsuit was filed in 2023 by Asta Jonasson, who once worked as Diesel's assistant. She accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2010, saying he 'pinned her against a wall in a hotel suite and masturbated in front of her." Normally, a claim this old would be dismissed due to time limits. But a new California law has allowed the case to move forward. Signed in 2023 by Governor Gavin Newsom, the Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act makes it possible for survivors to bring back certain sexual assault claims that happened as far back as 2009. Still, not all of Jonasson's claims could continue. Judge Daniel M. Crowley ruled that four of them—specifically under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)—were invalid because Jonasson didn't file a complaint with the state's Civil Rights Department within the one-year deadline. In his statement, Judge Crowley explained: 'Plaintiff's FEHA claims are time-barred because she failed to timely exhaust her administrative remedies by filing a CRD complaint within one year of the alleged adverse action, a jurisdictional requirement for a FEHA lawsuit." The dismissal only applies to the FEHA-related claims, including workplace discrimination. Other parts of the lawsuit—such as sexual battery, wrongful termination, retaliation, negligent supervision, and emotional distress—are still active and will go to court. Vin Diesel's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, denied all of Jonasson's claims. In a statement to People, he said, 'We will present irrefutable evidence that the remaining fictitious allegations alleged herein did not occur and finally end what remains of this maliciously filed lawsuit." Though the case has been trimmed down, it's far from finished. The court will now focus on the remaining, more serious allegations, and both sides are preparing for the next steps, which may uncover more information about the incident and Diesel's role. First Published:
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Judge Dismisses Four Claims in Ex-Assistant's Sexual Battery Lawsuit Against Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel had four claims dismissed on Tuesday in a lawsuit brought by his former assistant, but still faces sexual battery and wrongful termination allegations. Asta Jonasson sued Diesel in 2023 and accused the actor of groping her, forcibly kissed her, and masturbating in front of her in his hotel room in Atlanta in 2010. The former assistant claimed the alleged assault took place just over a week after Diesel and his production company, One Race Productions, hired her while filming Fast Five. Jonasson also claimed the production company fired her the next day in retaliation for resisting Diesel's advances. More from Rolling Stone Tom Girardi Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Embezzling Millions From Clients Sean Combs' Accuser Thalia Graves Wins Fight to Dismiss Bodyguard's Defamation Suit Sean Combs Trial: Hotel Security Guard Details Alleged $100,000 Bribe for Cassie Assault Video Diesel's lawyers previously stated that the actor denied 'generally and specifically, each and every allegation' leveled by Jonasson. Per the suit, Jonasson cited California's AB2777, which, like New York's Adult Survivors Act, allows some sexual misconduct claims to be filed in civil court regardless of whether the statute of limitations had passed. In addition to claims of sexual battery and wrongful termination, Jonasson sued Diesel for four claims under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). However, plaintiffs must first file an administrative complaint with the state Civil Rights Department (CRD) before they can file a lawsuit under the state Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). This gives the CRD time to evaluate the allegations and decide whether to accept the case for investigation. Diesel's attorneys argued that Jonasson's administrative complaint, required under FEHA, was submitted after the one-year deadline, and claimed California's extension of the statute of limitations for sexual assault lawsuits does not apply to administrative filings. Judge Daniel M. Crowley agreed with Diesel's lawyers and dismissed the four FEHA claims. 'Plaintiff's FEHA claims are time-barred because she failed to timely exhaust her administrative remedies by filing a CRD complaint within one year of the alleged adverse action, a jurisdictional requirement for a FEHA lawsuit,' Crowley wrote in Tuesday's ruling. Following the dismissal, Diesel's attorney Bryan Freedman told People, 'It is unfortunate that a person who worked for the company for less than two weeks 15 years ago in another state is allowed to use the California court system to assert such baseless claims.' He added, 'Next, we will present irrefutable evidence that the remaining fictitious allegations alleged herein did not occur and finally end what remains of this maliciously filed lawsuit.' In a statement to Rolling Stone, Matthew T. Hale, an attorney for Jonasson, said, 'While we respectfully disagree with the court's decision on this limited legal issue, the Court made no factual findings that impact the remaining causes of action in this case. We will continue to advocate vigorously on behalf of our client, who remains committed to seeking justice.'Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Best 'Saturday Night Live' Characters of All Time Denzel Washington's Movies Ranked, From Worst to Best 70 Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century
