• Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announces the Department of Education will fine Michigan State University $4.5 million for its mishandling of Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse of gymnasts at the university.

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• Jeffrey Epstein is found dead in his cell in New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center. 

• The financier was awaiting trial for the alleged sexual abuse of girls.

• Attorney General William Barr asks the FBI to open an additional investigation into Epstein’s death and says there were “serious irregularities” at the federal jail in Manhattan where Epstein was located

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• A lawsuit filed against the Boy Scouts of America accuses the organization of hiding rampant sexual abuse.

• Approx. 800 men claim to have been abused, with one plaintiff alleging an individual scoutmaster assaulted him ‘hundreds of times.’

• The sheer scale of lawsuits indicate a breakdown and complacency in the organization’s handling of abuse.

• The BSA previously considered filing for bankruptcy in 2018 after being overwhelmed with sexual misconduct lawsuits. 

• An 18-month investigation by the Senate concludes that the US Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics “knowingly concealed” rampant sexual abuse by Larry Nassadr, a team doctor.

• Senators Jerry Moran and Richard Blumenthal introduce a bill that will bring more oversight and accountability to the the USOC and USAG to hopefully prevent future abuse. 

Jane Meyer’s New Yorker story reflecting on Al Franken’s resignation sparks conversation regarding the process of justice in the MeToo era. In the article and subsequent discussion, his resignation serves as an example, to some, of the MeToo movement’s lumping together of serious crimes with minor offenses. While some believe he was unduly punished due to a larger climate of purging, others think his resignation was the right move, including Kirsten Gillibrand, who pushed for his departure. 

Following scrutiny over the way he handled a 2008 Jeffrey Epstein sex crimes case, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta announces he will resign from his position. As Acosta steps down, federal prosecutors in Manhattan say Epstein attempted to pay off people set to testify against him. Acosta’s departure means the Trump administration now has more cabinet turnover than the previous five presidents did during their entire first terms

Jeffrey Epstein, a billionaire hedge fund executive, is arrested and charged with trafficking dozens of underage girls between 2002 and 2005. Epstein, who is linked to many political figures including both President Bill Clinton and President Donald Trump, has long been the subject of accusations, lawsuits and investigations regarding sex crimes involving underage women. Following scrutiny of a plea deal he struck with Epstein while serving as a public prosecutor in Florida, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta resigns because he felt the scandal was "bad for the administration." 

E. Jean Carroll, a longtime magazine writer, accuses Trump of sexually assaulting her in a Bergdorf Goodman changing room in the 1990s. Trump issues a statement emphatically denying the incident and even knowing her. Carroll, however, stands by her story. According to Vox, she is the 22nd woman to accuse Trump of sexual misconduct

Facing criminal charges in New York for sexually assaulting two women, former film executive Harvey Weinstein reportedly reaches a $44 million deal that would settle the lawsuit. However, over 80 women have accused him of sexual misconduct and many, including prominent #MeToo activists Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan, have stated they are not involved in the settlement and intend to pursue criminal prosecution

Last September, hundreds of McDonald’s workers walked off in protest of what they said was “pervasive sexual harassment.” Today, the Time’s Up Legal Fund, formed last year as an extension of the #MeToo movement, and the American Civil Liberties Union announces the filing of 23 new complaints against McDonalds. However, given the fast food chain’s size, the legal battle facing the accusers will be daunting, according to the two groups representing those involved

After posting bail, R. Kelly goes on CBS This Morning to respond to allegations he committed sexual misconduct. In the interview with Gayle King, Kelly becomes extremely emotional and denies all wrongdoing  

In a documentary series on HBO, two men accuse Michael Jackson, the deceased “King of Pop,” of sexually assaulting them when they were children. Allegations of abusing children dogged Jackson while he was alive, but he beat a 2005 case in which other children testified in support of him

R. Kelly is arrested and charged with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse involving four anonymous victims. The judge sets the bond at $1 million