Marilyn Manson Accuser Gets Trial Date for Revived Claims of ‘Horrific’ Abuse

“We are happy that the delays are behind us and that we will have an opportunity to depose [Manson] and present all the facts to a jury next year,” a lawyer for plaintiff Ashley Walters says

By Nancy Dillon/ Rolling Stones

THE ARTIST AND personal assistant who claims Marilyn Manson whipped her, threw plates at her and sexually assaulted her received a trial date Tuesday for her previously dismissed lawsuit that was revived on appeal.

Ashley Walters is now scheduled to face Manson, whose legal name is Brian Warner, at a jury trial set to begin June 2, 2025, a Los Angeles County judge ruled. The judge ordered the trial after Walters’ lawyer, James Vagnini, told the court that the parties were “not successful at resolving the case” during a mediation last December. 

“We are happy that the delays are behind us and that we will have an opportunity to depose Mr. Warner and present all the facts to a jury next year,” Walters’ lawyer James Vagnini said in a statement to Rolling Stone. “We are confident they will acknowledge the harm done to Ms. Walters and deliver a resounding message to all survivors of such terrible abuse.”

Lawyers for Warner did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. In a court filing last month, the lawyers wrote that Warner “specifically denies that he assaulted, battered, harassed, or discriminated against plaintiff.”

Read the full article from Rolling Stone here.

What is the Gender Motivated Violence Protection Law?

While many people are familiar with the New York Adult Survivors Act, which opens a door for victims of sexual assault whose claims have fallen out of the statute of limitations to bring civil claims against their abusers, many haven’t heard of the Gender Motivated Violence Protection Law. 

However, the lesser-known Gender Motivated Violence Protection Law might have even more protections than the state Adult Survivors Act if the violent act occurred within the boundaries of New York City. The law provides a two-year lookback window–which began in March 2023 and ends on February 28, 2025– and similarly opens a doorway for victims to bring claims against their attacker without regard to when the incident occurred. However, the Gender Motivated Violence Protection Law covers more than only sexual violence and includes physical, verbal, psychological, and socio-economic violence. 

The Gender Motivated Violence Protection Law went into effect in Oct. 2018, extending the statute of limitations for civil charges for gender-motivated violence to seven years after the event occurred. An amendment was passed in January 2022 to open a two-year lookback window for victims whose claims were time-barred under the city law.

The two-year lookback window ends on February 28, 2025. It gives victims of gender-based violence an opportunity to recover damages against their accused attacker and is only effective for civil charges. A victim cannot bring criminal charges against the perpetrator under this law. 

To bring civil charges under the Gender Motivated Violence Protection Act, the victim does not have to reside in New York City but the act must have occurred in one of the five New York City boroughs. 

If you’ve experienced gender-based violence and are wondering if this law can help you, don’t hesitate to contact the compassionate legal team at VKV. We are here to stand by your side, advocate for your rights, and navigate this legal journey with you.

‘I don’t want to be in the darkness anymore’: Bronx case worker sues DSS over alleged sexual abuse, retaliation

By Aliyah Schneider/ Bronx Times

Disclaimer: This story details various accusations of sexual abuse.

A homelessness case worker on unpaid leave is suing the New York City Department of Social Services (DSS) and two of its employees over allegations that an office manager subjected her to relentless sexual abuse while her supervisor turned a blind eye.

The suit, which was filed by Trishana Jones on Sept. 12 in Bronx County Supreme Court against DSS — as well as her alleged harasser and direct supervisor — claims that the office manager sexually abused her from 2019-2022 and the agency failed to properly investigate it after she reported it.

Her lawsuit centers on allegations against Dason Noble, an office manager at the Northern Boulevard Queens DSS office they worked at together, who had the authority to discipline her. Jones, who lives in the Edenwald Section of the Bronx, initially thought they might develop a consensual romantic relationship, but instead, he abused his authority, according to Jones’ claims.

“I deserve justice for what I had to endure, and the world needs to see what happened,” Jones, 38, told the Bronx Times in her first interview since filing the lawsuit. “And I don’t want to be in the darkness anymore.”

According to the suit, Noble regularly coerced her into having sex with him in the workplace despite her saying she did not want to. She also accuses him of making degrading sexual comments and groping her in the office, ordering her to take explicit pictures in the bathroom for him, locking her in a storage room with him and recording sexual encounters without her consent, forcing her to take a contraceptive pill and choking her nearly to the point of unconsciousness, which led to bruising on her neck.

In one instance, Jones walked home in the winter without a jacket because he took it while trying to lure her into the stock room, according to the complaint.

Jones is requesting back pay, interest, compensatory and punitive damages, past and present pain and suffering damages, as well as attorneys fees. She has been on unpaid leave since Nov. 7, 2022, having been diagnosed with PTSD as a result of the alleged ordeal, according to her lawyers.

A DSS spokesperson told the Bronx Times that the agency cannot comment on ongoing litigation or investigations involving personnel, but that the well-being of staff is its “top priority.” The agency investigates, verifies facts and takes appropriate action — including prompt disciplinary action when warranted — when it learns of sexual harassment, the spokesperson said.

“We do not tolerate any instances of sexual harassment and take any such reports incredibly seriously,” the spokesperson added. “As we conduct a thorough investigation, we are committed to taking necessary action against any bad actors when warranted.”

Read the full article from the Bronx Times and a statement from Partner James Vagnini here.