In 2013, at a meet-and-greet before a concert in Colorado, pop star Taylor Swift was posing for photos with a local disc jockey, David Mueller, when she said the man put his hand under her skirt and groped her. Mueller was immediately escorted out of the concert venue and was banned from attending any of Swift’s performances–for life. The singer also reported the incident to the radio station Mueller worked for, and the station immediately fired him.
Mueller responded two years later by filing a defamation lawsuit against the singer. He also named Swift’s mother and her manager as co-defendants in the suit, claiming that the allegations against him were false.
Swift countersued Mueller for assault and battery. The amount of damages she was seeking was $1–her purpose was to prove a point. And prove a point, she did. On August 14th, a jury ruled in Taylor Swift’s favor during her lawsuit, agreeing that Mueller had sexually assaulted her, and they awarded her $1. The jury also ruled against Mueller in his lawsuit, stating that Swift et al. were not responsible for Mueller’s firing.
In the aftermath of Swift’s lawsuit and the jury’s ruling, many sexual assault victims are feeling empowered to stand up for themselves, which is exactly what Swift said was the reason behind her filing in the first place.
One victims’ organization, Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), said they received a 35 percent increase in calls to their hotline in the days immediately following the verdict of Taylor Swift’s sexual assault lawsuit. By coming forward with what happened to her, Swift let victims know that being groped is sexual assault under the law. Many victims think that if they weren’t raped, then they have no legal recourse.
This is one reason why only 44 out of every 1,000 sexual assaults are actually reported to law enforcement. College students, in particular, are especially vulnerable to this type of sexual assault. A critical component of healing from a sexual assault is coming forward. Victims can not only seek justice through the criminal court system, but they can also seek it through civil court.
Taylor Swift winning her sexual assault lawsuit is proof that justice is worth pursuing. Our Long Island sexual assault lawyers have helped many sexual assault victims, especially those who were assaulted on college campuses and universities, obtain financial compensation for the physical and emotional injuries that were inflicted on them.
We understand how devastating this experience can be for victims and will use all available resources to obtain the best possible outcome. Our compassionate legal team is available to meet and discuss what legal options you may have. Contact Goldstein & Bashner today.
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Goldstein and Bashner
