Lakers’ Clarkson, Young accused of sexual harassment
Los Angeles Lakers’ Jordan Clarkson (left) and Nick Young. AP
As if things couldn’t get any worse for the Los Angeles Lakers this season, two of their players are being accused of sexual harassment.
According to a report on ESPN, the Lakers are investigating an allegation made by Alexis Jones against two of their players, who were later identified as Nick Young and Jordan Clarkson.
Jones, author and co-founder of the nonprofit I Am That Girl, recalled the incident, which reportedly happened Sunday in Los Angeles.
Jones said four men on board a Jeep pulled up next to her vehicle at an intersection of La Brea and Melrose avenues in Hollywood and made “vulgar, sexual” gestures at her 68-year-old mother, as per ESPN.
“She was super rattled. That’s the truth. It scared her,” Jones said in an interview with ESPN. “We were in a small car, and they were in a big Jeep, and it was a bunch of big dudes. They’re leaning out of the car and making vulgar, sexual gestures. My mom was really shocked. That immediately turned into sobbing.”
Jones, “an activist trying to stop athletes from committing sexual harassment, sexual abuse and domestic violence,” managed to take photos of the alleged offenders and posted them on her Instagram account where commenters and other users named Young and Clarkson.
Screen shot of Alexis Jones’ post on Instagram
A day after the incident, Jones said she got a call from Lakers spokesman John Black. She added Black apologized on behalf of the team and offered him to speak to the Lakers about her advocacy.
According to ESPN, “Jones requested a call with [Clarkson and Young] to talk through the issue and hopefully receive an apology, but that request was declined.”
“I’m not special. This is happening to women everywhere,” Jones said. “I’m not here to shame them. That’s the last thing I want to do … I don’t want to crucify them. I want to use it as an opportunity to change behavior.”
The Lakers currently own the worst record in the Western Conference at 14-55. Clarkson is averaging 15.5 points per game while Young is posting 7.3 points a night heading into their game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday (Manila time).
