Sexual assault victims are hesitant to share their stories because of many stigmas that are associated with those who report these acts. Victims are framed as liars, receive negative comments, and sometimes receive retaliation from their abusers. Every survivor deserves to never live in perpetual fear of their abuser and too many survivors carry the burden of shame and guilt when they should not. No one deserves to live like that.
Whether you’ve been sexually assaulted, abused, or harassed, it is only fair that you get your day in court and speak the truth about your ordeal at the hands of your abuser. Our attorneys specialize in cases where they help those who have been victims of sexual assault. They fight to obtain justice for those who are terrified to speak out and will make sure that their stories are heard while their abusers are held accountable. Below are a few cases we are currently working on.
Case 1: The Independent Contractor
There are unfortunate situations where workplace friendships can become unsafe without proper policies and procedures to prevent and address inappropriate sexual behavior. Watts Guerra represents a woman working as an independent contractor who was sexually assaulted by an employee of a business on a trip organized by his employer, where she was working in a contracting role. Our client believed that the employee would behave appropriately and professionally, especially on an overnight work trip funded by his employer, but unfortunately, this was not the case. The employee took advantage of the out-of-country location of the work trip, his position of power, and our client’s lack of protections provided by his employer to behave inappropriately and harm our client. The enforcement of policies and procedures to ensure a safe workplace likely could have prevented this incident, and Watts Guerra is committed to holding those who enabled the assault of our client accountable.
This client for this case is being represented by our attorneys Alicia O’Neill, Meredith Drukker Stratigopoulos, and Bailey VanNatta.
Case 2: The Friend
Sometimes people who you may consider friends can end up causing the greatest harm by violating your trust, which was the case for a woman who contacted Watts Guerra to represent her in an assault case. What is tough about cases where there is a personal friendship or relationship between the parties is that potential Defendants are often people our clients feel that they can trust. What our clients believe might be friendly evenings and events, sadly can become opportunities for “friends” in disparate positions of power to gain trust and later take advantage of those who trusted them. Often, predatory “friends” will push boundaries little by little to see what they can get away with before taking it too far. We encourage those who have suffered assault and abuse by those in positions of power to reach out to us to discuss whether you have a claim, a potential Defendant having been a friend does not preclude a claim and is no excuse for harassment or abuse.
A representative client is being represented by our attorneys Meredith Drukker Stratigopoulos and Oscar Quiroz, Jr.
Case 3: The Masseuse
Many people go get massages to relax from their day-to-day stress, but what happens when that service becomes dangerous? Watts Guerra represents clients who find their relaxing spa days turned into nightmares when a person they have trusted to provide them spa services takes advantage of their vulnerable positions and turns a professional experience into a sexually abusive one. Strict training, employee oversight, policies, and careful hiring of those who are trusted to be alone with clients in spas are of the utmost importance when it comes to protecting those who are trusting spas to treat them appropriately. Watts Guerra is proud to represent those who are standing up to those who have abused and assaulted them in spa settings, a massage should never be seen as an opportunity for sexual misconduct.
These cases are being handled by our attorneys Meredith Drukker Stratigopoulos and Julie Matsen.
Case 4: Boerne Gymnasts
Watts Guerra represents one of the victims of Michael Spiller, a gymnastics coach with a career spanning decades and states, in a lawsuit against him and the gym that employed him at the time of her assault. It has been widely reported that Spiller has had numerous encounters of sexually assaulting minor children in gymnastics and circus camp settings since 1983. For decades, he continued to sexually assault minor children, expose himself and molest children through his access to gymnastic centers and other child-centered organizations without being reprimanded or held accountable. So far five people out of Texas, including children have come forward with allegations against Michael Spiller. He’s worked in other facilities across sixteen states[1] such as Texas, New Mexico, California, Louisiana, Hawaii, and even overseas in Europe[2]. Sadly, it is common for assailants to assault more than one victim throughout their lifetimes if they are not caught and held accountable. As Spiller had a forty-year career in gymnastics with access to children, it is expected that there will be more survivors who have not come forward with their stories at this point. Watts Guerra encourages all survivors of Michael Spiller to reach out to our firm and learn more about the litigation against him and his employers, as always any conversations between survivors and our lawyers are confidential.
This client for this case is being represented by our attorneys Meredith Drukker Stratigopoulos and Lance Kimbro.
To read our latest case update click here
Watts Guerra will continue to support survivors of sexual assault, abuse or harassment and encourages survivors to reach out to us for help to get the justice they deserve. If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault, abuse, or harassment, you have the right to force the person that assaulted, abused, or harassed you to stand up in court and be held accountable for their actions. The attorneys at our firm are here to help.
Written by:
Amanda Reyes
Law Clerk
WATTS GUERRA LLP
Four Dominion Drive, Bldg. Three, Suite 100
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Phone: (210) 447-0500
Meredith Drukker Stratigopoulos
Partner
WATTS GUERRA LLP
Four Dominion Drive, Bldg. Three, Suite 100
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Phone: (210) 447-0500
Frank Guerra
Board Certified – Personal Injury Law
Texas Board of Legal Specialization
WATTS GUERRA LLP
Four Dominion Drive, Bldg. Three, Suite 100
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Phone: (210) 447-0500
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