Allegations of widespread sexual assault and harassment in Hollywood have recently emerged at the forefront of American journalism; however, when Senatorial candidate Roy S. Moore of the Alabama Republican party was accused of sexually assaulting Leigh Corfman when she was fourteen years old. Since then, seven additional women have accused Moore of molesting them when they were teenagers. Despite these allegations, Moore has denied any wrongdoing and continues to run for Senator of Alabama.

Senior Isaac Masimore said, “We should trust the girls who are coming out because it’s a super hard thing for people to do. It’s a huge problem that sexual assault is so institutionalized that even teenagers are too afraid to speak out.”

This is not the first time that Roy Moore has made headlines. Moore initially became a household name when he refused to comply with federal court rulings requiring the removal of a 5,280 pound granite block engraved with the Ten Commandments he had placed outside the Alabama state judicial building. For his refusal to comply with the court’s ruling, he was removed from his position as Alabama Supreme Court chief justice. He was deposed yet again when he refused to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee and Republican National Committee have severed ties with Moore. Members of the Republican congressional leadership, such as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan, have unanimously denounced Moore’s actions and called on him to drop out of the race. The Alabama Republican party and many evangelical leaders, however, continue to stand behind Moore, accusing the victims of falsifying their allegations.

As a result of Moore’s actions, his opponent, the Democratic Senatorial candidate Doug Jones, currently enjoys an eight-point polling lead in one of the most conservative states in the country.

Sources: TIME, NPR, NYT, CNN

Photo: Wikimedia (License)