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| Woman Accusing Justin Fairfax of Sexual Assault Comes Forward | Woman Accusing Justin Fairfax of Sexual Assault Comes Forward |
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| WASHINGTON — The woman who has accused Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax of Virginia of sexual assault came forward on Wednesday, issuing a statement through a law firm that described a 2004 encounter at the Democratic National Convention in Boston that, she said, began with kissing but quickly turned into an episode of forced oral sex. | WASHINGTON — The woman who has accused Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax of Virginia of sexual assault came forward on Wednesday, issuing a statement through a law firm that described a 2004 encounter at the Democratic National Convention in Boston that, she said, began with kissing but quickly turned into an episode of forced oral sex. |
| The woman identified herself as Vanessa C. Tyson, an associate professor and expert in black history at Scripps College in California. She has also spent years advocating for victims of sexual assault and has spoken openly about being molested by her father when she was a child. | The woman identified herself as Vanessa C. Tyson, an associate professor and expert in black history at Scripps College in California. She has also spent years advocating for victims of sexual assault and has spoken openly about being molested by her father when she was a child. |
| “What began as consensual kissing quickly turned into a sexual assault,” Dr. Tyson wrote, describing her encounter in a hotel room with the future lieutenant governor. “Mr. Fairfax put his hand behind my neck and forcefully pushed my head towards his crotch. Only then did I realize that he had unbuckled his belt, unzipped his pants, and taken out his penis.” | “What began as consensual kissing quickly turned into a sexual assault,” Dr. Tyson wrote, describing her encounter in a hotel room with the future lieutenant governor. “Mr. Fairfax put his hand behind my neck and forcefully pushed my head towards his crotch. Only then did I realize that he had unbuckled his belt, unzipped his pants, and taken out his penis.” |
| Mr. Fairfax has forcefully denied her allegations; NBC News reported on Wednesday that he used an obscenity to describe Dr. Tyson as he sought to discredit her during a private State Senate caucus meeting Monday. | Mr. Fairfax has forcefully denied her allegations; NBC News reported on Wednesday that he used an obscenity to describe Dr. Tyson as he sought to discredit her during a private State Senate caucus meeting Monday. |
| Asked if Mr. Fairfax had referred to the woman with the expletive, Larry Roberts, the chief of staff to Mr. Fairfax, said the lieutenant governor had used a profanity to describe the situation and his level of anger, but had not referred to the woman with the expletive reported by NBC. Mr. Roberts said he attended the meeting. | Asked if Mr. Fairfax had referred to the woman with the expletive, Larry Roberts, the chief of staff to Mr. Fairfax, said the lieutenant governor had used a profanity to describe the situation and his level of anger, but had not referred to the woman with the expletive reported by NBC. Mr. Roberts said he attended the meeting. |
| On Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Fairfax released a statement calling Dr. Tyson’s account “painful” to read, though he again denied that he had assaulted her. | |
| “I take this situation very seriously and continue to believe Dr. Tyson should be treated with respect,” he said. “But, I cannot agree to a description of events that simply is not true.” | |
| In her statement, Dr. Tyson offered a searing description of being sexually assaulted. | In her statement, Dr. Tyson offered a searing description of being sexually assaulted. |
| “He then forced his penis into my mouth,” the statement continued. “Utterly shocked and terrified, I tried to move my head away, but could not because his hand was holding down my neck and he was much stronger than me. As I cried and gagged, Mr. Fairfax forced me to perform oral sex on him.” | “He then forced his penis into my mouth,” the statement continued. “Utterly shocked and terrified, I tried to move my head away, but could not because his hand was holding down my neck and he was much stronger than me. As I cried and gagged, Mr. Fairfax forced me to perform oral sex on him.” |
| She said she did not tell anyone about the encounter with Mr. Fairfax for years because she felt “deep humiliation and shame,” and was reluctant to speak out amid the ongoing political controversy in Virginia because she feared being branded a liar. She identified herself as “a proud Democrat” and said she has no political motive for coming forward. | She said she did not tell anyone about the encounter with Mr. Fairfax for years because she felt “deep humiliation and shame,” and was reluctant to speak out amid the ongoing political controversy in Virginia because she feared being branded a liar. She identified herself as “a proud Democrat” and said she has no political motive for coming forward. |
| Dr. Tyson’s statement comes as Virginia is in turmoil over who will lead the state. Gov. Ralph Northam is facing calls for his resignation over a racist photo in his medical school yearbook; Mr. Fairfax is facing the accusations of sexual assault; and Attorney General Mark R. Herring of Virginia, who would ascend to the governorship if both Mr. Northam and Mr. Fairfax were forced out, is under siege for acknowledging on Wednesday that he put on blackface while a student at the University of Virginia in 1980. | Dr. Tyson’s statement comes as Virginia is in turmoil over who will lead the state. Gov. Ralph Northam is facing calls for his resignation over a racist photo in his medical school yearbook; Mr. Fairfax is facing the accusations of sexual assault; and Attorney General Mark R. Herring of Virginia, who would ascend to the governorship if both Mr. Northam and Mr. Fairfax were forced out, is under siege for acknowledging on Wednesday that he put on blackface while a student at the University of Virginia in 1980. |
| In her statement, Dr. Tyson recounted that she met Mr. Fairfax in July 2004 when they were both working at the convention. They soon realized they had a mutual friend, and on the third day of the convention Mr. Fairfax suggested she get “some fresh air” by accompanying him on a quick errand to retrieve documents from his room in a nearby hotel. | In her statement, Dr. Tyson recounted that she met Mr. Fairfax in July 2004 when they were both working at the convention. They soon realized they had a mutual friend, and on the third day of the convention Mr. Fairfax suggested she get “some fresh air” by accompanying him on a quick errand to retrieve documents from his room in a nearby hotel. |
| Their previous interactions had not been flirtatious, she said, and so she agreed. Once in the room, he kissed her, she wrote, and “though surprised by his advance, it was not unwelcome and I kissed him back.” He then pulled her toward the bed, where the assault occurred, she wrote. | Their previous interactions had not been flirtatious, she said, and so she agreed. Once in the room, he kissed her, she wrote, and “though surprised by his advance, it was not unwelcome and I kissed him back.” He then pulled her toward the bed, where the assault occurred, she wrote. |
| By the time she met Mr. Fairfax, Dr. Tyson wrote, she had been regularly volunteering at a rape crisis center; on her LinkedIn profile it says she is a founding member of the Survivor Speakers Bureau at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. She said she felt the incident with Mr. Fairfax “especially degrading” given her volunteer work. | By the time she met Mr. Fairfax, Dr. Tyson wrote, she had been regularly volunteering at a rape crisis center; on her LinkedIn profile it says she is a founding member of the Survivor Speakers Bureau at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. She said she felt the incident with Mr. Fairfax “especially degrading” given her volunteer work. |
| “I did not speak about it for years, and I (like most survivors) suppressed those memories and emotions as a necessary means to continue my studies, and to pursue my goal of building a successful career as an academic,” she wrote. | “I did not speak about it for years, and I (like most survivors) suppressed those memories and emotions as a necessary means to continue my studies, and to pursue my goal of building a successful career as an academic,” she wrote. |
| In October of 2017, she wrote, she saw a photograph of Mr. Fairfax accompanying an article about his campaign to become lieutenant governor of Virginia. “The image hit me like a ton of bricks, triggering buried traumatic memories and the feelings of humiliation I’d felt so intensely back in 2004,” she wrote. | In October of 2017, she wrote, she saw a photograph of Mr. Fairfax accompanying an article about his campaign to become lieutenant governor of Virginia. “The image hit me like a ton of bricks, triggering buried traumatic memories and the feelings of humiliation I’d felt so intensely back in 2004,” she wrote. |
| She told a few close friends of hers in Virginia what had happened, she said. In December of that year, she reached out to a friend at The Washington Post, which has said it declined to run the story in part because it was unable to corroborate her account. But when stories emerged about Governor Northam last Friday, she wrote “I felt a jarring sense of both outrage and despair.” | She told a few close friends of hers in Virginia what had happened, she said. In December of that year, she reached out to a friend at The Washington Post, which has said it declined to run the story in part because it was unable to corroborate her account. But when stories emerged about Governor Northam last Friday, she wrote “I felt a jarring sense of both outrage and despair.” |
| She vented her frustration in a private Facebook post that did not identify Mr. Fairfax; she was then inundated with messages from reporters. When an online publication published her identity, Mr. Fairfax issued a statement calling her a liar, she wrote, which prompted her to consider whether to speak out. | She vented her frustration in a private Facebook post that did not identify Mr. Fairfax; she was then inundated with messages from reporters. When an online publication published her identity, Mr. Fairfax issued a statement calling her a liar, she wrote, which prompted her to consider whether to speak out. |
| “Mr. Fairfax’s suggestion that The Washington Post found me not to be credible was deceitful, offensive, and profoundly upsetting,” she wrote. She said she would not make any other statement and was speaking out only to clear her name, “and to provide what I believe is important information for Virginians to have as they make critical decisions that involve Mr. Fairfax.” | “Mr. Fairfax’s suggestion that The Washington Post found me not to be credible was deceitful, offensive, and profoundly upsetting,” she wrote. She said she would not make any other statement and was speaking out only to clear her name, “and to provide what I believe is important information for Virginians to have as they make critical decisions that involve Mr. Fairfax.” |