Orange County Employment Lawyers Blog
Four schools within the State of California have been picked for a Sexual Harassment Audit. The goal of the inquiry is to see how various universities have handled complaints or cases of sexual harassment on their campuses.
Experienced sexual harassment attorneys in Orange County know that sexual harassment claims are often not handled properly and we are here to provide confidential legal consultation. There are many forms sexual harassment, including crude jokes and inappropriate touching.
Universities in California are under scrutiny for their handling of sexual harassment cases after the state legislators asked for a closer look at the issue.
The four universities will have their handling procedures reviewed from 2009 through 2013 in an effort to determine if procedures and policies are consistent with existing state and federal laws.
The audit was scheduled because there have been a series of serious sexual harassment incidents across California and the United States. State legislators began to feel that the incidents were only signs of a larger problem.
Upon further examination, it appears that the way incidents of sexual harassment were handled is an enormous problem. The purpose of the audit is to try and determine what policies work and what policies do not.
The hope is that the audit will produce information that can have a positive impact on student’s safety across the 23-campus system.
The audit will also focus on how well each university educates students on the prevention of sexual harassment. The auditors want to see whether there are resources available on the campus and whether students are aware of the resources.
Although no release date has been set, the report is expected to be completed by the Auditor’s Office sometime in the Spring of 2014.
A number of recommendations are made by the American Association of University Professors for preventing sexual harassment and assault on college and university campuses throughout the United States.
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has developed suggested policies and procedures for handling complaints for many years.
In general the AAUP recommends that an individual be designated to handle sexual harassment complaints and that all complaints should go through this individual.
Complainants should be encouraged to bring complaints forward as quickly as possible after the alleged harassment has occurred. Complainants should be aware that if they delay for too long it may have legal ramifications later down the road.
Complaints should also be resolved as quickly as possible and disciplinary measures taken as soon as practicable.
It should be noted that the United States Supreme established relatively strong incentives for universities and colleges to disseminate polices for sexual harassment as far back as 1998.
Costa Mesa sexual harassment lawsuits can be filed with the help of the Nassiri Law Group, practicing in Orange County, Riverside and Los Angeles. Call 949.375.4734.
Additional Resources:
ASU to pay plaintiffs’ attorneys $1.1M in sexual harassment lawsuit, November 22, 2013, Montgomery Advertiser
More Blog Entries:
California’s Top Employment Law Mistakes, Oct. 26, 2013, Orange County Employment Lawyer Blog
Report: Sexual Harassment Protections Scant for Unpaid Interns, Aug. 23, 2013, Orange County Sexual Harassment Lawyer Blog