Here’s one for the “oh God, do not do that” pile.
Bill Cosby, who is fresh out of a hung jury mistrial on his sexual assault allegations, is reportedly planning a series of seminars and town hall meetings which he plans to instruct men on how to avoid sexual assault allegations. Note that Cosby is still facing a number of civil suits from women who claim he assaulted him.
“This issue is bigger than Bill Cosby,” his representative Andrew Wyatt said on morning show Good Day Alabama. “This issue can affect any young person — especially young athletes of today.”
Wyatt went on to say that men “need to know what they are facing when they are hanging out and partying, when they are doing certain things they shouldn’t be doing.”
I’d be shocked if ‘do not drug and sexually assault people’ is one of the top recommendations that Cosby will put out in these particular seminars.
Ebonee M. Benson, who works with Wyatt, agreed with him, and made some very weird claims about what might invite a claim of sexual assault. “People need to be educated on a brush against the shoulder,” she said. “Anything at this point can be considered sexual assault.”
It’s worth noting that Cosby is not accused of anything remotely approaching a ‘brush on the shoulder’ that is misconstrued as a sexual assault. He is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting numerous women over a period of many years.
The announcement, as you might expect, invited instant responses form sexual assault survivor advocacy groups. Jodi Omear, spokesperson for anti-sexual violence organisation RAINN, was particularly damning. “It would be more useful if Mr. Cosby would spend time talking with people about how not to commit sexual assault in the first place.”
Here’s an idea: do not do this.
Source: NY TImes.
Photo: Getty Images.
