Sexual Harassment

Since the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1965, the law on sexual harassment has evolved into a
formidable protector of a woman’s rights in the workplace. In the past, many women, especially
those that were single mothers and/or the sole source of income for the family, were intimidated or
coerced into having sexual relations with their supervisors in order to keep their jobs or to receive a
promotion. Thanks to the hard work of many persons arguing on behalf of women’s rights, this form
of harassment, called quid pro quo harassment, has been outlawed, and a violation could lead to severe
monetary sanctions against a company that has a supervisor that attempts any such act.

However, this quid pro quo harassment is not the only form of illegal sexual harassment. Both state
and federal law protect both males and females from being harassed based on having to endure
sexually offensive behavior by coworkers and supervisors -- but, the law in this area is not black and
white, as not every joke or offensive act is a violation of the law. Rather, the courts will only provide
protections for actions that are so severe and pervasive that they either interfere with an employee’s
work performance, or they create an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment. This can
include inappropriate touching, sexual propositions, and numerous sexual jokes or sex-related
comments from coworkers and supervisors. Please note that there is no way to list every action that
may or may not violate the law in this website, but it important to understand that courts and juries
will be asked to find a violation only when the conduct is clearly offensive to the victim, and to a
reasonable person. Also, failure to comply with a legitimate-company policy on harassment by
reporting violations by coworkers and supervisors may also prevent a victim from obtaining monetary
relief for sexual harassment.

Finally, the sexual harassment laws also protect an employee from being harassed because of his or
her gender. There is a subtle difference between this type of harassment and the harassment
addressed above, in that this type of harassment does not involve sex; rather, it involves a person
being targeted because of his or her gender. For instance, if a female employee is being targeted by
her coworkers and supervisors for abuse merely because of her gender, either in or out of the
workplace, (i.e. receiving threatening letters, enduring demeaning comments about women, or being
yelled at by supervisor), then that female employee may have a cause of action against her employer
for gender harassment. However, as with the harassment incidents mentioned above, the courts will
only provide protections for actions that are considered to be severe and pervasive, and the courts
may not provide protection for victims that fail to comply with a legitimate-company policy on
harassment by reporting violations by coworkers and supervisors.

If you believe that you have been the victim of sexual harassment, please fill out and send the
discrimination e-mail form. If you have been wrongfully accused of committing or allowing sexual
harassment, please fill out and send our other email contact form. We would be happy to review
your matter, and contact you about your potential options. PLEASE DO NOT DELAY, as this may
prevent you from being able to assert your legal rights.