Donald Trump's choice of words when he said he can "grab [women] by the pussy" because he's famous has been made into something of a joke for some. However, a recent incident in Connecticut reminds us this is something that really happens.
Christopher von Keyserling, a Republican member of the Representative Town Meeting in Greenwich, CT, was arrested and charged with fourth-degree sexual assault on Wednesday for doing literally what Trump described, The Westport Daily Voice reports.
On December 8, a woman told von Keyserling during a conversation in a town building that "it was a new world politically," according to a warrant, which is supported by video footage from the building.
"I love this new world, I no longer have to be politically correct," he replied. She said she couldn't help him if those were his values, prompting him to insult her for being a union worker.
Then, she used an expletive toward him and retreated to her office, where he followed her. As the woman left the scene of their confrontation with a coworker, because she was feeling unsafe, he reached between her legs and pinched her crotch.
She told him to keep her hands off her or she'd punch him.
She said that he replied, "it would be your word against mine, and nobody will believe you."
He was wrong. The woman reported von Keyserling to the police. The case heads to court January 25.
She almost didn't go forward with the complaint, but after hearing similar stories about him from other women, she had to say something — especially after he tried to brush it off as a joke.
Since the election, we've seen a rise in racist and homophobic harassment, and it's not hard to imagine how the current political climate could be used to justify sexual harassment as well.
Thankfully, von Keyserling's alleged actions were recognized as more than "locker room" behavior.