Harassment
Your workplace should be a safe place.
HARASSMENT
Your workplace should be free of harassment because of your race, age national origin, gender, pregnancy, disability, perceived disability, religion or sexual orientation. That conduct is illegal
and violates your protections under the Federal statute, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).
The most common types of harassment is a hostile working environment. This includes intimidating, hostile or offensive conduct based upon any of the protected characteristic mentioned above. That conduct must have been unwelcome, and severe or pervasive, not only to you but also to a level such that a “reasonable person” would agree with you.
Have Questions About Workplace Harassment Or Employee Rights?
Our experienced employment attorneys help workers understand their rights and pursue claims through the appropriate legal channels, including federal employment boards and commissions.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Your work environment may be hostile, not only from the sexual conduct and speech directed at you, but if you become aware of others benefitting from sexual favoritism, or suffering from being subjected to sexual harassment.
The second type of sexual harassment is called “quid pro quo” (“this for that”) harassment. In a quid pro quo situation an employee’s employment is conditioned on submitting to unwelcomed sexual advances. This usually occurs when a person in a position of power demands sexual favors or makes unwelcomed sexual advances to an employee with the express or implied threats that failing to submit to those demands will result in unfavorable treatment such as termination, demotion, transfer, a denial of promotions, etc.
HARASSMENT BASED ON SEX OR GENDER
However, sexual harassment is not limited to conduct of a sexual nature. Any sort of harassment based upon a person’s sex may be considered sexual harassment. This may include:
- Making offensive remarks of women (or men) in general.
- Making vulgar or demeaning comments of someone’s actual or perceived sexual orientation.
- Ostracizing somebody for their gender identity.
- Discriminating based upon pregnancy and/or child birth.
LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASES
Sexual harassment cases can be incredibly sensitive, as they may bring to mind suffering you have endured. An experienced employment attorney who has litigated harassment cases is necessary in ensuring that you receive the justice and compensation that you or your loved one deserves, and to make sure harassers and employers are held responsible and accountable for such illegal actions by their employees.
EXAMPLES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Sexual harassment can include many forms of offensive or unwelcomed sexual behavior, including the following:
- Express or implied sexual advances.
- Offering employment benefits in exchange for sexual favors.
- Making sexually derogatory or degrading comments, slurs or jokes.
- Comments about ones body.
- Displaying sexually suggestive posters, images, or pictures.
- Physical touching or assault.
- Suggestive, offensive or obscene letters, notes, texts or invitations.
- Any other verbal harassment that is explicitly sexual.
HARASSMENT BASED ON SEX OR GENDER
However, sexual harassment is not limited to conduct of a sexual nature. Any sort of harassment based upon a person’s sex may be considered sexual harassment. This may include:
- Making offensive remarks of women (or men) in general.
- Making vulgar or demeaning comments of someone’s actual or perceived sexual orientation.
- Ostracizing somebody for their gender identity.
- Discriminating based upon pregnancy and/or child birth.
LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASES
Sexual harassment cases can be incredibly sensitive, as they may bring to mind suffering you have endured. An experienced employment attorney who has litigated harassment cases is necessary in ensuring that you receive the justice and compensation that you or your loved one deserves, and to make sure harassers and employers are held responsible and accountable for such illegal actions by their employees.
$235M+
Recovered for Clients
48+ Years
Employment Law Experience
16
Punitive Damage Awards
WHY CHOOSE OUR FIRM FOR A SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASE
For decades our firm has diligently litigated and taken to trial all types of harassment lawsuits including sex, race, age, disability harassment. We have recovered millions of dollars for our clients in harassment trials such as [ ]race harassment trials Medro Johnson v. Sears $8.4 million in damages and fees), sex harassment trials Bebensee v. Accubanc ($1,450,000 damages and fees), and Wallace and Vannucci v. Anheuser Bush ($4,300,000 damages) Brenda Gonzalez v. SunCoast $300,000. We have also obtained a number of significant harassment pretrial settlements including a $20,000,000 settlement in Roe v. Tech Co.
We have set legal precedent in hard fought sex harassment cases such as Page v. Sup. Ct. (3Net) (1995) 31 Cal.App.4th 1206 (manager’s individual liability for sex harassment), and the landmark California Supreme Court case, State Dept. of Health Services v. Sup. Ct. (McGinnis) (2003) 31 Cal.4th 1026 (employer’s strictly liable for sexual harassment a supervisor).
Although we prefer to take our cases to trial, on occasion we will arbitrate a case with the same intensity and results. For example, in the recent arbitration of a sexual harassment retaliation case, Sujei Gonzalez v. Morning Star Institute, Inc. we obtained an award of $8,357,939 for damages and fees.
We take harassment cases against small or Fortune 500 private sector businesses. We are here to help maximize your recovery, guide you through the process based upon our decades of experience and bring you justice. You will benefit from the knowledge, skill and experience we have developed over decades of successfully litigating and bringing harassment cases trial.
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