The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has arrested an Arcata man on suspicion of raping two children. According to a press release, investigators arrested Lucas William Russell, 21, at his home on the 1100 block of West End Road this morning while serving a search warrant. The investigation began in late February, when the sheriff’s office’s […]
sexual assault
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Briceland Man Arrested on Child Pornography Allegations
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 28-year-old Briceland man on suspicion of manufacturing child pornography and believes there may be additional unidentified victims in the case. After a year-long investigation into allegations of child sexual abuse and internet crimes against children, deputies arrested Sebastion Hockett while serving a search warrant at his home […]
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Colleges Experiment with Restorative Justice in Sexual Assault Cases
When a sexual assault survivor walks into Alexandra Fulcher’s office at Occidental College, it’s the first step in a process fraught with consequences for both the survivor and the accused. If Fulcher, the school’s Title IX director, launches an official investigation, the survivor could be asked to recount their trauma and cross-examined about it in […]
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At ‘Breaking Point,’ Cal Poly Humboldt Academic Senate Passes Resolution Supporting Survivors, Criticizing President
The Cal Poly Humboldt Academic Senate voted unanimously yesterday to pass a resolution in support of sexual assault survivors that noted recent statements by university President Tom Jackson Jr. “have led to additional harm and a feeling of distrust.” The resolution is the latest fallout from Jackson’s remarks during his fall welcome address in August, […]
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Cal Poly President Apologizes for Title IX Comments
Cal Poly Humboldt President Tom Jackson Jr. sent out a personal message to the campus community this morning apologizing for comments he made about Title IX investigations during his fall welcome address that some felt were misinformed at best or at worst an overt attempt to silence survivors of sexual assault and harassment. The message […]
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Campus Advocates Provide Key Support to Sexual Assault Survivors — but ‘Superheroes’ are in Short Supply
When Laura Swartzen saw the email from Sacramento State University’s Title IX office, it felt like her heart skipped a beat. Swartzen, the Sac State confidential campus advocate, had spent the past nine months supporting a student who reported being sexually assaulted. Swartzen had listened to the student’s wrenching account, offered to connect them with […]
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Third Student Alleges Inappropriate Behavior by Fortuna Math Teacher
Another Fortuna High School student has come forward to make allegations against the math teacher arrested Wednesday on suspicion of sexually assaulting two students. Gary Landergen, who’d returned to Fortuna High School this year, where he’d previously taught in the 1990s before leaving for Argonaut High School in Amador County, was arrested on a Ramey […]
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Fortuna High School Teacher Arrested for Alleged Sexual Battery of Students
The Fortuna Police Department has arrested Fortuna Union High School math teacher and wrestling coach Gary Landergen on allegations he sexually assaulted at least two students. According to a press release, “at least two students” came forward to report they had been the victim of “inappropriate and unwelcome groping and/or fondling by Landergen.” The Fortuna […]
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From Maggots to Sex Abuse, Nursing Homes Sue California to Overturn Citations, Fines
Already paralyzed from a stroke and suffering from COVID-19 pneumonia, the 65-year-old man contracted a serious infection and landed in the hospital. The California Department of Public Health, which regulates nursing homes, investigated and in September 2020 fined the nursing home $60,000, concluding that the patient’s care at Longwood Manor Convalescent Hospital was so deficient […]
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Arcata High Students Walk Out to Stand with Sexual Assault Survivors
For the third consecutive day, students walked off a high school campus in Humboldt County on Wednesday to stand in solidarity with survivors of sexual assault and protest what they feel are inadequate administrative and societal responses. Hundreds of Arcata High School students descended on the Arcata Plaza yesterday morning, many clad in white or […]
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Students Stage Walkouts on Three Local Campuses to Support Sexual Assault Survivors
Students walked out of class on at least three Humboldt County high school campuses this morning to stand in solidarity with survivors of sexual assault. Most wearing white and many holding signs, students at Fortuna, Eureka and McKinleyville high schools participated in the planned walkouts, with Fortuna and McKinleyville students marching the streets surrounding their […]