Women United Kicks Off Petition Drive to Remove Paul Tudor Jones' Family Name from All University of Virginia Buildings

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Jan. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Today, newly established group Women United released local digital and TV ads in the Charlottesville area seeking to hold Harvey Weinstein’s billionaire friends accountable for aiding and abetting his pattern of abuse. Women United will be present at tonight’s UVA vs. Louisville basketball game with petitions asking for the removal of the Jones name from all UVA buildings.

One of the longtime members of The Weinstein Company board of directors, the untouchable billionaire Paul Tudor Jones has shown a pattern of belittling and disregarding women.

The Harvey Weinstein scandal arose in October 2017, when over 100 women came forward with claims of sexual assault and abuse against Weinstein. These allegations go as far back as the 1970’s. Paul Tudor Jones maintained a direct relationship with Harvey Weinstein, both as a business partner and as a personal friend, continuing to support Weinstein even after the allegations against him had become public. “I love you,” Jones, 63, said in an Oct. 7 email to Weinstein reported by The New York Times. “The good news is, this will go away sooner than you think and it will be forgotten!”

Not surprisingly, Jones has an outdated, sexist view on modern day women in the workplace. When asked at a UVA function why industrial trading was mostly men, he said that when women have children, it becomes a “focus killer.” Specifically, Jones told an audience of University of Virginia students, alumni and others that it is difficult for mothers to be successful traders because connecting with a child is a focus “killer.” As long as women continue having children, he said, the industry is likely to be dominated by men.

“As soon as that baby’s lips touched that girl’s bosom, forget it,” Jones said, motioning to his chest. In the video of the event (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/paul-tudor-jones-in-macro-trading-babies-are-a-killer-to-a-womans-focus/2013/05/23/1c0c6d4e-c3a6-11e2-9fe2-6ee52d0eb7c1_story.html?utm_term=.086dea3a5d07), Jones says, “every single investment idea . . . every desire to understand what is going to make this go up or go down is going to be overwhelmed by the most beautiful experience . . . which a man will never share.” As the video goes on, he says, “You will never see as many great women investors or traders as men — period, end of story.”

In the video released today by Women United, Founder Catrena Carter states, “No has always meant no. Now, we have to go further. No more excusing inexcusable behavior toward women. No more allowing those who protect monsters like Harvey Weinstein to go unnamed. No more looking the other way when billionaires choose predators over victims. It’s time to stand together and fight.”

Catrena Carter is a 30-year veteran of both the civil rights and women’s movements and has led successful, grassroots efforts around the country by getting women involved in the political process, most recently with the “Vote or Die” movement that defeated accused sexual predator, Roy Moore.

Women United is a next phase of the #MeToo movement. As their message states, now it’s time to #DemandRespect. In addition to releasing ads, the group will also be launching grassroots efforts to shine a light on the structure of powerful and successful men that allow abuse to go unchecked and unreported.