Women in Film (WIF) and the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office are taking steps to support and protect victims of Hollywood’s rampant sexual harassment and abuse. According to reports from Deadline, WIF is organizing a sexual harassment Help Line and pro bono legal service and Los Angeles DA Jackie Lacey is forming a sexual assault task force. These actions, of course, are in response the recent string of allegations made against high-profile industry figures like Harvey Weinstein, James Toback, Kevin Spacey, and most recently, Louis C.K.
Expected to launch December 1, WIF’s hotline and legal service will offer assistance every day of the year. “The legal aid panel will refer both women and men who are in need of designated mental health counselors, law enforcement professionals, and civil and criminal lawyers and litigators,” Deadline writes. “The Help Line also will double as a crisis center and information hub.” Each member of the legal aid panel will provide at least 10 hours of pro bono guidance.
“I’m sad that we are in a place where the formation of a crisis and relief center for victims of sexual harassment and sex crimes is necessary,” stated WIF president Cathy Schulman. “But I have no doubt that Women In Film’s deep familiarity with the business and behavior of our community, position as an independent and not-for-profit entity … institutional knowledge of discrimination and the social science surrounding change models, as well as our deep devotion to our members and friends, will enable the Help Line and legal aid panel to move the national conversation about workplace harassment in a positive and curative direction.”
“Our phones have been ringing off the hook since these harassment stories began to break. We are hearing that victims feel isolated, that there is nowhere safe to go to tell their stories, that they believe they must keep their experiences silent or they will be sued or black-balled and that they feel helpless, fearing the legal costs of trying to do anything about what has happened to them,” added Kirsten Schaffer, Executive Director of WIF. “The Help Line will be staffed by trained experts to address these concerns, and all information will be kept strictly confidential.”
Meanwhile, DA Lacey’s task force will investigate the sexual assault claims. “Despite the growing number of allegations, however, no crimes have been referred for prosecution to the DA’s office by local law enforcement agencies,” Deadline reveals.
“I have assigned the group of veteran sex crimes prosecutors to work together to ensure a uniformed approach to the legal review and possible prosecution of any case that meets both the legal and factual standards for criminal prosecution,” Lacey said. “To date, we have not received any cases from law enforcement for possible criminal filing. We are in communication with the Los Angeles and Beverly Hills police departments.”
A lot of work will have to be done to fix Hollywood’s culture of toxic masculinity, but WIF and the DA office’s actions are an encouraging start. Thanks to WIF, the women and men who have encountered sexual harassment or abuse — and those who could encounter it in the future — now have somewhere to turn. And efforts like DA Lacey’s send a message to survivors that a blind eye will no longer be turned on the widespread sexual misconduct. As more and more horror stories emerge, these types of actions are exactly what we need.
