Time's Up Legal Defense Fund

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Time's Up Legal Defense Fund logo.jpeg
Formation2018
FounderRoberta Kaplan, Tina Tchen, Fatima Goss Graves
HeadquartersWashington, D.C.
WebsiteWebsite

Time's Up Legal Defense Fund (TULDF) is an organization that provides legal and media support to individuals who have been subject to workplace sex discrimination, such as sexual harassment. The fund is housed and administered by the National Women's Law Center (NWLC), a 501(c)3 non-profit. It is operated independently from the organization Time's Up, which operates as an advocacy group, and the Time's Up Foundation, a non-profit which raises funds for the TULDF. The New York Times called the TULDF "[Time's Up]'s crown jewel."

History[]

The Time's Up Legal Defense Fund was co-founded in 2018 by Time's Up's Roberta Kaplan and Tina Tchen[1][2][3] and NWLC's president and CEO [4] and is operated separately by the NWLC, a 501(c)3 organization,[5] which both houses and administers the fund.[6][7][8] TULDF's director is Sharyn Tejani.[9][10]

In August 2021 Kaplan and Tchen resigned from their roles in the Time's Up organization and TULDF after an investigation into New York governor Andrew Cuomo's sexual harassment allegations revealed Time's Up leadership had advised Cuomo while he was fighting the allegations.[11][12]

Funding[]

The initiative is funded by direct donations and through donations to the Time's Up Foundation.[13][14] The initial fundraising GoFundMe campaign by Time's Up for the legal defense fund in 2018 received $21 million in two months.[15]

Work[]

TULDF provides legal and media support to individuals who have been subject to workplace sex discrimination, such as sexual harassment.[6]

TULDF pairs women who need representation with local attorneys willing to help.[16][17] Attorneys provide an initial free consultation.[18] The attorneys then apply for TULDF funds to defray the costs of representing the alleged victim.[16][19] According to NWLC's Graves, some lawyers are able to take such cases pro bono, but having a fund to pay those who can't afford to do so means the organization can attract more attorneys to help with such cases.[16] Graves told CBS News that the biggest obstacle TULDF faced in helping with requests is that women don't request help early enough.[19]

By March 2018 over 1800 women had requested support and over 500 attorneys had signed up.[16] According to the NWLC, 98% of these requests were from women.[20] That year TULDF supported the sexual harassment class action suit filed against McDonald's by employees of a Michigan franchise group[21][22] a suit by a former Wal-Mart employee,[23] and a suit by Chicago Fire Department paramedics.[10]

By February 2019 the organization had 800 lawyers signed up and had assisted in over 100 cases.[24] Tchen in February 2019 said the organization had received requests for support from thousands of women representing 60 industries, and that two-thirds of the women were lower-income.[24] San Francisco's Lega Aid at Work said their organization had received funds for five of their cases.[24]

A 2020 report by NWLC on the cases reported to TULDF found that seven of ten women requesting assistance had experienced retaliation when reporting workplace sexual harassment.[25][26] More than half of women reported that their harasser was someone to whom they reported.[25][26]

The organization's 2021 Annual Report said that TULDF had assisted 4800 women, a third of whom identified as women of color and three-fourths of whom identified as lower-income.[14] The annual report said the organization had provided media assistance in 300 cases, and that in cases where a decision had been reached, 90% had been decided in favor of the complainant.[14]

TULDF also awards grants to other non-profits serving low-wage workers who have experienced workplace sexual harassment.[4] In August 2018 they awarded 18 grants, including , , , Interfaith Worker Justice, and National Domestic Worker's Alliance.[27]

Reception[]

The New York Times in 2019 called the TULDF "[Time's Up]'s crown jewel"[24] and in 2021 said the initiative represented possibly Time's Up's most significant achievement.[8]

References[]

  1. ^ Coleman, Justine (2019-10-07). "Former Michelle Obama chief of staff Tina Tchen named new head of Time's Up". The Hill. Retrieved 2019-10-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ Walters, Joanna (October 21, 2018). "#MeToo a revolution that can't be stopped, says Time's Up co-founder". The Guardian. Retrieved October 21, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ "Time's Up Leader Resigns After Criticism Over Cuomo Ties". NPR. 9 August 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ a b Melas, Chloe (1 January 2019). "Voices behind Time's Up". CNN. Retrieved 2021-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "National Women's Law Center". Charity Watch. Retrieved 2021-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ a b Grady, Constance (January 16, 2019). "Time's Up was at the center of the 2018 Golden Globes. One year later, what has come of it?". Vox Media. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  7. ^ Holloway, Daniel; Chuba, Kirsten (September 25, 2018). "Inside Time's Up Entertainment's Plan to Take on Sexism in Hollywood". Variety. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Kantor, Jodi; Sundaram, Arya; Ryzik, Melena; Buckley, Cara (2021-08-21). "Turmoil Was Brewing at Time's Up Long Before Cuomo". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  9. ^ Schmidt, Samantha (February 8, 2021). "She reported sexual harassment by a former supervisor — and was fired soon after". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Kesslen, Ben; Dasrath, Diana (6 July 2021). "Chicago to pay 5 female paramedics $1.8 million in sexual harassment settlement". NBC News. Retrieved 2021-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ Kantor, Jodi; Gold, Michael (9 August 2021). "Roberta Kaplan, Who Aided Cuomo, Resigns from Time's Up". The New York Times. The report from the state attorney general’s office found that Ms. Kaplan had reviewed a draft of a disparaging op-ed letter that was aimed at attacking the character of Lindsey Boylan, a former Cuomo aide who was the first to publicly accuse him of sexual harassment. The op-ed letter was never published.
  12. ^ "Time's up CEO Tina Tchen resigns in wake of Cuomo scandal". ABC News.
  13. ^ Maddaus, Gene (December 22, 2020). "Time's Up Financial Reports Show Growth, Detail CEO Severance". Variety. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  14. ^ a b c "Time's Up Legal Defense Fund: Three Years and Looking Forward" (PDF). National Women's Law Center. 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ Langone, Alix (March 8, 2018). "#MeToo and Time's Up Founders Explain the Difference Between the 2 Movements — And How They're Alike". Time. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  16. ^ a b c d Blair, Elizabeth (11 March 2018). "Here's How The Time's Up Legal Defense Fund Actually Works". NPR. Retrieved 2021-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ Odegard, Jenny (15 January 2018). "Time's Up Legal Defense Fund: What You Need To Know". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ James, Meg (2018-10-25). "Time's Up has kept #MeToo in the spotlight and raised $22 million. Now it wants leadership and focus". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2021-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ a b "Time's Up fund has linked 4,000 alleged sexual harassment victims with attorneys". CBS News. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 2021-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ Stern, Claire (8 March 2018). "Some of The Time's Up Legal Defense Fund's Cases Are Already in Court". InStyle. Retrieved 2021-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ Flynn, Caitlyn (2020-01-01). "On TIME'S UP 2nd Anniversary, Weinstein's Looming Trial Is a Symbol of the Work to Come". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2021-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ "Tell McDonald's to Do More to Protect Its Workers". Tell McDonald’s to Do More to Protect Its Workers. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  23. ^ Dishman, Lydia (2018-05-23). "Former Walmart employee sues using Time's Up Legal Defense Fund". Fast Company. Retrieved 2021-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  24. ^ a b c d Buckley, Cara (2019-02-20). "Time's Up a Year Later: Hollywood Women Test Their Clout". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  25. ^ a b Noveck, Jocelyn (2021-04-20). "Time's Up study: Many who report harassment face retaliation". Associated Press. Retrieved 2021-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  26. ^ a b "Time's Up study says many who report harassment face retaliation". PBS NewsHour. 2020-10-15. Retrieved 2021-08-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ^ "Time's Up Legal Defense Fund Awards Inaugural Grants". . 16 August 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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