Taylor Swift to testify in court against DJ over groping claim

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ANI New York [USA]
Last Updated : Aug 06 2017 | 2:32 AM IST

Pop Sensation Taylor Swift will soon be heading to court to testify against a sexual assault case.

According to CNN, the singer is expected to testify in a civil case filed by a Denver disc jockey who claims he lost his job after Swift accused him of groping her backstage at one of her concerts in 2013.

As per the court documents, David Mueller, who was known professionally as Jackson, said that Swift and co-defendents, including her mother Andrea Swift, falsely accused him of improperly touching her during a meet-and-greet that he attended for his then employer, KYGO radio.

Swift, who was 23 at the time, claimed in a legal response to Mueller's suit that he assaulted her while posing for a photo by "reaching under her dress and grabbing her bottom."

Swift noted that she told her mother and members of her team what she says happened, but denies that she complained to Mueller's employer, as he said in his claim.

Rather it was her radio promotions director, Frank Bell, who alerted KYGO to the alleged incident. The station conducted an investigation and moved to terminate Mueller, Swift's filing stated.

Swift's pre-trial response noted, "No less than seven KYGO personnel participated in the investigation. KYGO fired Mueller for violating the morality clause of his contract after it independently determined that he had lied about the incident, changed his story, and inappropriately touched Ms. Swift. Mueller never sued KYGO for breach of his employment contract."

Mueller also stated that he was fired after Bob Call was told that Swift and her parents were "looking for specific action" from the station.

Swift maintains she is "absolutely certain of what Mueller did" and is prepared to testify "that Mueller 'put his hand under [her] dress and grabbed [her] bare a**.'"

Swift, Bell and Swift's mother are expected to testify on her behalf, as is Lorraine Bayard de Volo, chair and associate professor of women and gender studies at the University of Colorado, who will offer expert testimony on the conduct of and ramifications for victims of sexual assault and harassment.

Mueller first initiated his suit in 2015. Swift filed a counterclaim against him for allegedly groping her.

In May, a judge refuted Mueller's claims of slander against Swift. Mueller was also sanctioned for destroying electronic devices that contained evidence in the case.

The trial is scheduled to begin in Denver on August 7.

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First Published: Aug 06 2017 | 2:21 AM IST

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