New Hampshire
Survivors of motorcycle crash that killed 7 urge judge to keep trucker off road
Days before the five-year anniversary of a crash that killed seven motorcyclists, relatives and friends urged New Hampshire officials Wednesday not to allow the trucker involved back on the state’s roadways.
A jury in 2022 found Volodymyr Zhukovskyy not guilty of multiple manslaughter and negligent homicide counts stemming from the June 21, 2019, collision in Randolph that killed seven members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club, an organization of Marine Corps veterans and their spouses in New England.
An administrative law judge for the Department of Safety in May said Zhukovskyy is subject to a state law that allows his license to be suspended for up to seven years. The hearing Wednesday was held to determine the length of the license suspension, a decision expected in the next 15 days.
The state is asking that Zhukovskyy’s license be suspended through 2031. The trucker’s attorney wants the suspension to end now by backdating the start to 2019 and suspending the final two years of the maximum for good behavior.
Wednesday’s hearing was dominated by witnesses who knew those who died or rode with them that day. They recounted the devastation wrought by the loss of parents and good friends and demanded that Zhukovskyy not get his license back. Many cited his history of collisions and driving infractions leading up to the 2019 crash.
“Someone that caused such incredible, horrible pain to so many people has the audacity to say ‘I want my privilege back,’” said David Bark, a member of the Jarheads. “It’s not a constitutional right to drive a car, to operate a motor vehicle on a public access highway. This is a privilege.”
David Hilts, representing the state, argued for the longest suspension possible, citing Zhukovskyy’s history of crashes and driving infractions.
Zhukovskky, appearing by video with his lawyer, expressed his “deepest condolences” to the victims of the crash and their families and said he had been sober for five years. “At this point, I don’t do drugs. I don’t drink or smoke. You know, I live a good, healthy lifestyle,” he said.
His lawyer, Earle Wingate III, urged the decision on the length of the suspension “not be made on emotion, but rather on the facts.”
Zhukovskyy’s Massachusetts license was automatically suspended in New Hampshire after his arrest following the crash, but he is seeking to get it reinstated.
At his trial, prosecutors argued that Zhukovskyy repeatedly swerved back and forth before the collision and told police he caused it.
At the time, Zhukovskyy’s license should have been revoked because he had been arrested in Connecticut on a drunken driving charge in May 2019. Connecticut officials alerted the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, but Zhukovskyy’s license wasn’t suspended due to a backlog of out-of-state notifications about driving offenses. The Connecticut case is pending.
Zhukovskyy, who came to the U.S. as a child from Ukraine and had permanent residency status, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after the 2022 verdict. A judge ordered his deportation last year, but the U.S. has paused repatriation flights to Ukraine due to the war with Russia and authorized Temporary Protected Status for qualified Ukrainians.
California
Snapchat to pay $15M to settle discrimination and harassment claims, lawsuit
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Snapchat Inc. will pay $15 million to settle a lawsuit brought by California’s civil rights agency that claimed the company discriminated against female employees, failed to prevent workplace sexual harassment and retaliated against women who complained.
The settlement with Snapchat Inc., which owns the popular disappearing-message app by the same name, covers women who worked for the company in California between 2014 and 2024, the California Civil Rights Department announced Wednesday. The settlement is subject to court approval.
The agreement resolves a more than three-year investigation over claims that the Santa Monica, California-based company discriminated against female employees when it came to pay and promotions, the department said in a statement.
The bulk of the settlement money will go to employees who faced discrimination at Snapchat Inc., California officials said.
“In California, we’re proud of the work of our state’s innovators who are a driving force of our nation’s economy,” said Kevin Kish, director of California’s civil rights agency. “This settlement with Snapchat demonstrates a shared commitment to a California where all workers have a fair chance at the American Dream. Women are entitled to equality in every job, in every workplace, and in every industry.”
Snapchat Inc. said it disagrees with the agency’s claims but that it decided to settle to avoid costly and lengthy litigation.
“We care deeply about our commitment to maintain a fair and inclusive environment at Snap, and do not believe we have any ongoing systemic pay equity, discrimination, harassment, or retaliation issues against women,” the company said in a statement.
Snapchat Inc. grew from 250 employees in 2015 to over 5,000 in 2022. But the growth didn’t translate to advancement for female employees who “were told to wait their turn, were actively discouraged from applying for promotions, or lost promotion opportunities to less qualified male colleagues,” California officials said.
In particular, women in engineering roles, which account for about 70% of Snap’s workforce, found barriers when trying to advance from entry-level positions, according to the complaint.
California’s civil rights agency also said in its lawsuit that women were sexually harassed and that when they spoke up, they faced retaliation that included negative performance reviews and termination. Male managers routinely promoted male employees over more qualified women, the agency said.
“Women were told, both implicitly and explicitly, that they were second-class citizens at Snap,” the agency said in its lawsuit.
The settlement will require the company to hire an independent consultant to evaluate its compensation and promotion policies and retain an outside auditor of its sexual harassment, retaliation, and discrimination compliance. The company will also have to train its staff on preventing discrimination, retaliation and sexual harassment in the workplace, officials said.
Snapchat Inc. also agreed to provide information to all employees about their right to report harassment or discrimination without fear of retaliation.
Survivors of motorcycle crash that killed 7 urge judge to keep trucker off road
Days before the five-year anniversary of a crash that killed seven motorcyclists, relatives and friends urged New Hampshire officials Wednesday not to allow the trucker involved back on the state’s roadways.
A jury in 2022 found Volodymyr Zhukovskyy not guilty of multiple manslaughter and negligent homicide counts stemming from the June 21, 2019, collision in Randolph that killed seven members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club, an organization of Marine Corps veterans and their spouses in New England.
An administrative law judge for the Department of Safety in May said Zhukovskyy is subject to a state law that allows his license to be suspended for up to seven years. The hearing Wednesday was held to determine the length of the license suspension, a decision expected in the next 15 days.
The state is asking that Zhukovskyy’s license be suspended through 2031. The trucker’s attorney wants the suspension to end now by backdating the start to 2019 and suspending the final two years of the maximum for good behavior.
Wednesday’s hearing was dominated by witnesses who knew those who died or rode with them that day. They recounted the devastation wrought by the loss of parents and good friends and demanded that Zhukovskyy not get his license back. Many cited his history of collisions and driving infractions leading up to the 2019 crash.
“Someone that caused such incredible, horrible pain to so many people has the audacity to say ‘I want my privilege back,’” said David Bark, a member of the Jarheads. “It’s not a constitutional right to drive a car, to operate a motor vehicle on a public access highway. This is a privilege.”
David Hilts, representing the state, argued for the longest suspension possible, citing Zhukovskyy’s history of crashes and driving infractions.
Zhukovskky, appearing by video with his lawyer, expressed his “deepest condolences” to the victims of the crash and their families and said he had been sober for five years. “At this point, I don’t do drugs. I don’t drink or smoke. You know, I live a good, healthy lifestyle,” he said.
His lawyer, Earle Wingate III, urged the decision on the length of the suspension “not be made on emotion, but rather on the facts.”
Zhukovskyy’s Massachusetts license was automatically suspended in New Hampshire after his arrest following the crash, but he is seeking to get it reinstated.
At his trial, prosecutors argued that Zhukovskyy repeatedly swerved back and forth before the collision and told police he caused it.
At the time, Zhukovskyy’s license should have been revoked because he had been arrested in Connecticut on a drunken driving charge in May 2019. Connecticut officials alerted the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, but Zhukovskyy’s license wasn’t suspended due to a backlog of out-of-state notifications about driving offenses. The Connecticut case is pending.
Zhukovskyy, who came to the U.S. as a child from Ukraine and had permanent residency status, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after the 2022 verdict. A judge ordered his deportation last year, but the U.S. has paused repatriation flights to Ukraine due to the war with Russia and authorized Temporary Protected Status for qualified Ukrainians.
California
Snapchat to pay $15M to settle discrimination and harassment claims, lawsuit
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Snapchat Inc. will pay $15 million to settle a lawsuit brought by California’s civil rights agency that claimed the company discriminated against female employees, failed to prevent workplace sexual harassment and retaliated against women who complained.
The settlement with Snapchat Inc., which owns the popular disappearing-message app by the same name, covers women who worked for the company in California between 2014 and 2024, the California Civil Rights Department announced Wednesday. The settlement is subject to court approval.
The agreement resolves a more than three-year investigation over claims that the Santa Monica, California-based company discriminated against female employees when it came to pay and promotions, the department said in a statement.
The bulk of the settlement money will go to employees who faced discrimination at Snapchat Inc., California officials said.
“In California, we’re proud of the work of our state’s innovators who are a driving force of our nation’s economy,” said Kevin Kish, director of California’s civil rights agency. “This settlement with Snapchat demonstrates a shared commitment to a California where all workers have a fair chance at the American Dream. Women are entitled to equality in every job, in every workplace, and in every industry.”
Snapchat Inc. said it disagrees with the agency’s claims but that it decided to settle to avoid costly and lengthy litigation.
“We care deeply about our commitment to maintain a fair and inclusive environment at Snap, and do not believe we have any ongoing systemic pay equity, discrimination, harassment, or retaliation issues against women,” the company said in a statement.
Snapchat Inc. grew from 250 employees in 2015 to over 5,000 in 2022. But the growth didn’t translate to advancement for female employees who “were told to wait their turn, were actively discouraged from applying for promotions, or lost promotion opportunities to less qualified male colleagues,” California officials said.
In particular, women in engineering roles, which account for about 70% of Snap’s workforce, found barriers when trying to advance from entry-level positions, according to the complaint.
California’s civil rights agency also said in its lawsuit that women were sexually harassed and that when they spoke up, they faced retaliation that included negative performance reviews and termination. Male managers routinely promoted male employees over more qualified women, the agency said.
“Women were told, both implicitly and explicitly, that they were second-class citizens at Snap,” the agency said in its lawsuit.
The settlement will require the company to hire an independent consultant to evaluate its compensation and promotion policies and retain an outside auditor of its sexual harassment, retaliation, and discrimination compliance. The company will also have to train its staff on preventing discrimination, retaliation and sexual harassment in the workplace, officials said.
Snapchat Inc. also agreed to provide information to all employees about their right to report harassment or discrimination without fear of retaliation.
