[MsMowz]

>Yet in today’s environment, even if he ultimately proves himself to be innocent through the lawsuit he claims he is going to file against his accuser, a career death sentence has already been carried out by a virtual lynch mob. That is wrong.

Has this ever actually happened?

[tankenmate]

Sometimes it isn't just career death

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sargeant

[ceejayoz]

I've read that article twice and nowhere does it indicate he was cleared of the accusations.

[abiox]

how does one become 'cleared of accusations'?

[ceejayoz]

Police investigation? Parliamentary one? Alibis, inconsistencies in the story, etc.? People are cleared of alleged crimes/improprieties all the time.

[abiox]

a hyper-concrete alibi usually works (such as reliable documentation of being on a different continent), but everything else is just "absence of evidence" (not a clearing).

unless "cleared" actually just means "insufficient evidence".

[MsMowz]

I was talking about being falsely accused. All signs in his case are that he actually did it.

[tankenmate]

Did what? The allegations weren't even put to the "accused" let alone a court of law.

Let me be clear, I don't know whether he was guilty or not, the biggest reason being that the accusations are public.

But that's the rub, just an allegation can be enough to trigger all sorts of repercussions regardless of the guilt of the accused.

Accusations should be taken seriously unless prima facie absurd (the raped by someone who wasn't in the country for 20 years level of absurd). And in most cases should initially lead to suspension pending investigation for offences that would lead to a custodial sentence.

Firing and other forms of response where there is no way back is prejudicial and lacking natural justice.

[EDIT] added large clarification

[weissguy1]

Joe Lonsdale?