Top headlines of the week

1. The Surge in Young Workers Has a Dark Side: Sexual Harassment of Teens on the Job
2. Political Standoff Over Title IX Puts Red State Colleges in No-Win Situation
3. Massive budget cuts leave California domestic violence survivors with few options
4. Recent Policy Reforms May Help California Domestic Violence Survivors Stay Housed

5. Women are underrepresented in stunt-driving. These drivers are fighting for change

    

Companies and businesses are increasingly reliant on teen workers, in a trend that’s fueled by the tight labor market. Meanwhile, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission – the federal agency tasked with policing discrimination against employees – is ramping up scrutiny on companies who fail to shield their teenage employees from sexual harassment on the job. The effort aims to send a message to employers that they must have worker protections in place or else face consequences.

Last month, we wrote about how the Biden Administration took a positive step by rolling back Trump-era changes to Title IX and extending protections under the statute. Now, Republican-led states are openly defying Biden’s changes. More than half of states have sued the Biden Administration over the new regulations and a number have said they simply will not comply with them, The new regulations both broadened what constitutes sexual harassment and expanded the interpretation of Title IX to include pregnant, gay and transgender students. It is the latter part of the rule that is getting the most pushback from red states.

The Los Angeles Times is out with a piece about cuts to VOCA funding, an issue we’ve had our eye on for awhile. Their coverage highlights that dwindling money for states from the federal 1984 Victims of Crimes Act Fund will likely be devastating for domestic violence survivors. Also in California news, a recently passed reform removes credit scores as a barrier for vulnerable people – like domestic violence survivors – who are applying for housing.

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Women have historically been underrepresented in stunt driving, but a mighty duo is working to change that. Read all about stunt drivers Olivia Summers and Dee Bryant and their all female stunt-driving team called the Association of Women Drivers. That’s a cause we can get behind!

Weekly nonprofit news

NEWS

NEWS has been selected as a 2024 California Nonprofit of the Year, an initiative where each California state legislator is given the chance to choose a nonprofit to recognize for their outstanding work. NEWS was chosen by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry.

Center for Domestic Peace

C4PD is honoring outgoing Executive Director Donna Garske and celebrating their incoming Executive Director Tara Peterson during an event on June 6. Find out more details here.

If you’re interested in helping domestic violence survivors and passionate about making a difference, consider signing up for C4PD’s 40-hour training session to become a Domestic Violence Advocate. The training is virtual and will run from July 17 to July 31.

Tri-Valley Haven For Women

Tri-Valley Haven has also been chosen as a 2024 California Nonprofit of the Year! They were selected by State Senator Steve Glazer for their work serving survivors in the Tri-Valley area and Contra Costa County.