On Wednesday, renown magician David Copperfield released a statement in support of the MeToo cause and warned about jumping to conclusions regarding false allegations. After his statement was broadcast, reports surfaced about an incident in 1988 that took place in California involving David Copperfield and an underage model. The model who was 17 years old at the time claims she was drugged and sexually assaulted by the magician after she participated in a modeling contest for which he was a judge. He invited her to his next show, allegedly poured something into her drink, and then she blacked out, which resulted in a sexual assault that occurred in her hotel room. She reported the assault in 2007 and is not demanding a financial settlement.
Apologies cannot erase the emotional and potentially physical trauma individuals experience when they are sexually assaulted during a business situation. The alleged incident involving Copperfield and the young model appears much different than most workplace sexual harassment and misconduct circumstances, but the modeling contest that preceded the incident made the two individuals colleagues in a manner of speaking. Sexual harassment and misconduct in the workplace can occur between a superior and a subordinate, co-workers, or even an employee and non-employee.
If you experienced sexual harassment in your workplace, contact our Philadelphia sexual harassment lawyers at Sidney L. Gold & Associates, P.C. at 215-569-1999 or contact us online. We will offer understanding in discussing your case and will dedicate our efforts in seeking a satisfactory resolution.
