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Tag: Court

  • Judge denies Meta's request to dismiss sexual harassment lawsuit filed by early employee

    Judge denies Meta's request to dismiss sexual harassment lawsuit filed by early employee

    A judge has denied Meta’s request to dismiss a lawsuit brought against it by early employee Kelly Stonelake. 

    U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein, who is overseeing the case, ruled this month that parts of Stonelake’s suit had merit, and the case will move forward. 

    “I hope this ruling encourages others who have experienced discrimination and toxic workplace cultures to consider the courts as one way to push for justice and accountability,” Stonelake said in a statement given to TechCrunch.

    Stonelake, who worked at Meta from 2009 until being laid off in early 2024, filed a lawsuit against Meta in Washington state earlier this year, alleging sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and retaliation. Meta moved the lawsuit to federal court and filed to dismiss Stonelake’s suit, saying her claims were legally insufficient.

    Meta declined to comment on the lawsuit or the judge’s decision.

    In her initial complaint, Stonelake alleges Meta failed to take action after she reported sexual assault and harassment; that she was often passed over for promotion in favor of men; and that she faced retaliation after flagging a video game she perceived as racist and harmful to minors. She said working for Meta under these alleged conditions severely damaged her mental state and left her in medical treatment. 

    When asked in February why she decided to file her suit, Stonelake said she wanted to drive accountability for what she alleges is a large pattern of abuse at Meta. 

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    “Meta has the opportunity to do harm on a scale that only tech companies can,” she said.

    At the time, Meta declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

    In its motion to dismiss, Meta said Stonelake “fails to and cannot allege any viable claims against Meta,” and that her claims of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation fell outside the statute of limitations of the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD). 

    A judge has partially rejected that argument.

    In documents filed August 21, the judge stated that parts of Stonelake’s claims regarding retaliation, failure to promote, and sexual harassment were sufficient to survive. The judge has dismissed other specific claims within the lawsuit that covered other allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful discharge. Stonelake was also denied her request to amend the filing, should she choose.

    Stonelake and Meta will now file a joint status report, which is due mid-September.  

    Stonelake’s claims are just some of the high-profile allegations Meta has faced as of late.

    Shortly after Stonelake filed this suit, Sarah Wynn-Williams (who led public policy for what was then called Facebook) released her memoir “Careless People,” where she alleged sexual harassment by her boss, as well as retaliation after she reported him. Meta denied the allegations in the book, and Wynn-Williams is currently barred from marketing it after a judge sided with Meta in that she had likely broken her non-disclosure agreement in writing it. 

  • Former Arsenal star Thomas Partey granted conditional bail amid rape allegations

    Shockwave in the Footballing Cosmos

    What happened?

    In a piece that feels more like a plot twist from a thriller film, Ghana’s own 32‑year‑old international midfielder—who recently waved goodbye to Arsenal—has landed under a storm of legal trouble.

    He stands accused of five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, a heavy verdict that has the sports world scrambling for explanations.

    Why the headlines are rib‑candid

    • Gopher‑Landing Takes a Dark Turn: The move from the Gunners to a fresh chapter turned sour.
    • The Legal Labyrinth: 5 rape charges plus 1 assault? It turns the football’s naivete into a nightmare.
    • Community Shock: Fans, teammates, and the Ghanaian nation are all in a bewildered chorus.
    What to Expect Going Forward

    The case is set to progress through court proceedings that will undeniably reshape the public perception of the player and his future in professional football.

    In the interim, the football community is left to wonder: will the player’s sporting legacy survive a storm so thick it could turn a stadium into a courtroom?

    Thomas Partey’s Bail: A Pitch‑Wide Pause

    Former Arsenal star Thomas Partey has been granted a conditional stay at the front of the legal line following a court showdown over serious accusations. The Ghanaian midfielder, 32, stood before Westminster Magistrates’ Court, where he faced five rape charges against two women and an assault charge involving a third.

    What the Court Demands

    • Partey cannot contact any of the alleged victims.
    • He must notify police if his address changes or if he travels abroad.
    • He’s free to move around, but no hugging or flirting is allowed with the parties involved.

    After his Arsenal contract expired in June, the player is playing for free—or, more accurately, signing with Spanish side Villarreal. Judge Paul Goldspring noted, “I hear he’s no longer in the UK and is now on the field elsewhere,” before the bail conditions were finalized.

    A Day on the Bench

    Partey entered the court decked out in a dark zip‑up and a crisp suit jacket, the kind of things that usually trigger applause on the sidelines. He stood in the dock with his arms folded behind him—no soccer tackles allowed in the courtroom.

    His lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire, was quick to remind everyone that Partey “denies all the allegations” and that he wants to clear his name—ideally without any drama, like a clean penalty kick.

    Legal Turnover

    The police opened the investigation back in February 2022. Set down in July, the charges hit just days after the Arsenal contract finished. Partey is expected to head to the Old Bailey in September for the next chapter of his story.

    Fast‑Forward to the Past

    • Joined Arsenal in 2020 for a hefty €52.1 million (about £45.3 million).
    • Won Spain’s league and the Europa League with Atlético Madrid.
    • Helped Arsenal finish runner‑up in the last three Premier League seasons.
    • Earned 51 caps for Ghana.

    Arsenal’s spokesperson took a cautious stance: “The player’s contract ended on 30 June. Because of ongoing legal proceedings, the club cannot comment on the case.”

  • Anthony Edwards Sued By Ex Ally D. Over Child Support For 1-Year-Old

    Anthony Edwards Sued By Ex Ally D. Over Child Support For 1-Year-Old

    NBA star Anthony Edwards was hit with a paternity lawsuit by his ex Alexandria Descroches in New York, over a week before he filed his own suit against her, In Touch can exclusively report.
    On March 13, Alexandria aka Ally D., 26, filed a petition, obtained by In Touch, against Anthony, 23. In the filing, Ally said she had a son, born in 2023, with the Minnesota Timberwolves star.

    window.firework_player_src = ‘//asset.fwcdn3.com/js/storyblock.js’;
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    She told the court that Anthony’s income came from the National Basketball Association.Anthony Edwards Sued By Ex Ally D. Over Child Support For 1-Year-Old

    Anthony Edwards’ Ex Ally Accuses NBA Star of Never Meeting 1-Year-Old Son

    As In Touch first reported, the NBA star filed his own paternity and support case in Georgia on March 21, several days after Ally filed her case in New York.Anthony Edwards Sued By Ex Ally D. Over Child Support For 1-Year-Old

    NBA Star Anthony Edwards Accuses Ex of Being ‘Deceitful’ in Court Battle

    In her filing, Ally said she moved with her son to New York in February 2024, “where they have since continuously resided.”
    Ally said Anthony’s case should not have been filed in Georgia because “the child had not resided in Georgia for at least six consecutive months, and [Ally] and child had been residing in New York for over a year.”Anthony Edwards Sued By Ex Ally D. Over Child Support For 1-Year-Old

    NBA Star Anthony Edwards Accuses Ex of Sabotage Attempt, Harassment

    “All interactions between [Anthony] and [Ally] did not take place in Georgia. [Anthony] and [Ally] had interactions in Minnesota during the time of conception when [Anthony] flew [Ally] out there to be with him.”
    Her lawyer added, “Here, the child, A.D., was born on October 23, 2023, and moved to New York with [Ally] in February 2024. As of the filing of this Georgia action, the child had not lived in Georgia for six consecutive months, nor was Georgia the home state at any relevant time. Thus, Georgia does not qualify as the home state.”Anthony Edwards Sued By Ex Ally D. Over Child Support For 1-Year-OldAxelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
    “There is no evidence that the child was conceived in Georgia — in fact, the facts suggest that conception likely occurred while [Anthony] was flying [Ally] to and from Minnesota,” the response added.
    Ally demanded the case be heard in New York and not Georgia. She attached her New York complaint as an exhibit to her filing.
    Earlier this month, Ally, along with her New York-based lawyer, Al Hedayati, Esq. of the Hedayati Law Group, P.C., spoke to In Touch about the ongoing court battle.
    Ally said she met Anthony in 2020.Anthony Edwards Sued By Ex Ally D. Over Child Support For 1-Year-Old

    NBA Star Anthony Edwards’ Alleged DNA Test Results Revealed in Fight With Ex

    She claimed after she told him about the pregnancy, he told her, “Don’t be messy.” She said she kept the pregnancy quiet for months. Ally also accused Anthony of not meeting their 1-year-old despite her efforts.
    Her attorney Mr. Hedayati told In Touch, “She is raising a child as a single mother and has an open-door policy for [Anthony] to see the child.”

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    Ally said she had a job and plans to go to school, and was not trying to live off Anthony.
    As In Touch first reported, Anthony is in the middle of a legal battle with his other ex Ayesha Howard over child support for their daughter, Aubri Summers Howard, born in October 2024.

  • Anthropic settles AI book-training lawsuit with authors

    Anthropic settles AI book-training lawsuit with authors

    Anthropic has settled a class action lawsuit with a group of fiction and nonfiction authors, as announced in a filing on Tuesday with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Anthropic had won a partial victory in a lower court ruling and was in the process of appealing that ruling. No details of the settlement were made public, and Anthropic did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Called Bartz v. Anthropic, the case deals with Anthropic’s use of books as training material for its large language models. The court had ruled that Anthropic’s use of the books qualified as fair use, but because many of the books were pirated, Anthropic still faced significant financial penalties for its conduct connected to the case.

    Nonetheless, Anthropic had applauded the earlier ruling, framing it as a victory for generative AI models. “We believe it’s clear that we acquired books for one purpose only — building large language models — and the court clearly held that use was fair,” the company told NPR after the ruling in June.

    In a statement to TechCrunch, lawyers for the plaintiffs applauded the settlement. “This historic settlement will benefit all class members,” said attorney Justin Nelson. “We look forward to announcing details of the settlement in the coming weeks.”

    Updated 8/27 8:37am ET with a statement from the plaintiffs.

  • German court sentences Syrian torture doctor to life imprisonment

    German court sentences Syrian torture doctor to life imprisonment

    Alaa M was found guilty of crimes committed at military hospitals in Syria at the start of the country’s civil war. The 40-year-old later moved to Germany, where he worked as an orthopaedic surgeon.

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    A German court has sentenced a Syrian doctor to life imprisonment for killing two people and torturing nine others in his homeland between 2011 and 2012.
    The Frankfurt Higher Regional Court delivered the verdict after a trial that lasted almost three and a half years.

    The 40-year-old defendant, identified only as Alaa M due to German privacy law, was accused of committing crimes against perceived opponents of the Assad regime at military hospitals in Homs and Mezzeh at the start of the Syrian civil war.
    The man, who later worked as an orthopaedic surgeon in northern Hesse, was detained in Germany in 2020 and was charged with murder, torture and crimes against humanity.
    Alaa M pleaded not guilty, alleging that he was the victim of a conspiracy.
    However, the Frankfurt court established that the particular gravity of his guilt, meaning that he is unlikely to be released after 15 years, as is often the case in Germany when people receive life sentences.
    Christoph Koller, the presiding judge, told the German news agency dpa that the doctor had sadistic tendencies.

    “Above all, the accused enjoyed harming people that seemed inferior and low-value to him,” Koller said.
    “No torturer can be certain of impunity, no matter where he is,” he added.

    Related

    Syria’s post-war economy will require ‘substantial’ international support, IMF says

    Koller said the Syrian doctor’s sentencing would not have been possible without the willingness and courage of witnesses to share the details of their suffering.

    Alaa M travelled to Germany in 2015 and worked as an orthopaedic surgeon in clinics in Hessisch Lichtenau (Werra-Meißner) and Bad Wildungen (Waldeck-Frankenberg).
    His trial began in 2022, two years after his arrest, which occurred after witnesses recognised him from a documentary about Homs.

  • Elon Musk's X may finally settle 0M severance lawsuit

    Elon Musk's X may finally settle $500M severance lawsuit

    More than two years after leaving the company, some former Twitter employees may finally receive their severance pay. Elon Musk’s X is tentatively settling a class action lawsuit filed by workers who were let go soon after he purchased Twitter.

    This news comes in the form of a court filing where both parties asked the court to delay an upcoming hearing so that they could work out a deal.

    After buying Twitter in 2022, Musk laid off over 6,000 Twitter employees, reducing the company’s headcount by around 80%. While Musk offered three months’ severance, the lawsuit claims that many former employees didn’t receive complete payments, while some didn’t receive any payment at all.

    The lawsuit also alleges that Musk’s offer of three months’ severance was lower than what employees expected from a Twitter severance plan that had been in place since 2019, which would have guaranteed senior employees severance of up to six months’ base pay, plus one week of pay per year of service.

    But in July, a U.S. District Judge in San Francisco ruled that Musk did not have to honor the severance agreements that these employees had entered with Twitter. The plaintiffs appealed the ruling, however, and the parties were set to enter oral arguments in a court of appeals next month before requesting that the hearing be delayed.

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