Last month, a woman from Redwood City filed a lawsuit against Uber claiming that she was sexually assaulted by her driver in 2018. The lawsuit could set an important precedent for the over 3,000 other lawsuits against Uber alleging sexual assault or harassment.
According to The Almanac, the plaintiff, who was referred to as Jane Doe, called an Uber because she was experiencing a migraine at a restaurant in San Mateo after her friend’s wedding. Doe alleges that the driver complimented her for being pretty before intentionally going off-route, and parking on a side street. There, the driver then pinned her down and proceeded to forcibly remove her clothing and rape her without contraception, before driving her home.
Doe informed her mother and brother of the incident and sought medical attention soon after. She also attests that her wallet was stolen. According to the complaint, she emailed Uber about the assault but received an insubstantial response. She stated she did not contact law enforcement at the time because she was afraid of victim-blaming and not being believed.
In a similar case in February, a federal jury in Arizona ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million to a woman who said one of its drivers raped her in 2023 during a trip. Though Uber has maintained that it is not responsible for the actions of its drivers because they are independent contractors, not employees—a sentiment that was affirmed by the California Supreme Court in years past—the Arizona ruling marks a major change in how courts view the company’s liabilities. An Uber spokesman has said that Uber plans to appeal the Arizona verdict; however, it remains unclear whether judges will side with Uber in future cases, like this one.
Safety at M-A’s Prom
With M-A’s prom taking place this Friday, April 24th, many students are prioritizing safety when deciding on transportation to and from the San Francisco venue.
Some students are taking party buses and other forms of group transportation. Junior Alexandra Jones said she’ll be taking a party bus on the way to prom and a Waymo on the way back, which is generally a safer option than rideshare services like Uber since there is no driver involved.
Senior Liri Maoz shared a similar sentiment. “I definitely go towards Waymos a lot more lately, because it feels a lot more safe,” she said. Maoz explained that she also likes using Lyft because it allows women to prioritize matching with female drivers. Uber has a similar feature.
“I know that [Mr. Amoroso] has put in a lot of effort into getting a lot of security guards there,” Maoz, who is part of leadership, said. “If you’re worried about safety for prom, trust me, there are so many people there, not only teacher chaperones, but actual security guards, and a bunch of leadership kids. You are going to be safe. Obviously, the city can be a scary place at night, but you’re never going to be alone there,” she explained. “Especially after the dance, when it’s midnight, they really do check [for safety].”
Jones expressed the importance of proper screening procedures when hiring Uber drivers in response to the recent lawsuit. One anonymous student was surprised and said their parents are making sure they use a party bus company that requires background checks on drivers.
