Articles Tagged with sexual harassment lawyer

A blog post written by a woman detailing sexual assault by her powerful boss in an upscale bar prompted fifteen women to come forward with their own stories – about the same man. restaurant

The blog, The Reality of Sexual Assault in the Cocktail Community, details in graphic, difficult-to-read accounts, their experiences of sexual harassment and sexual assault in the restaurant and bar industry. The homepage contains content wherein the original author explains she wants to start a dialogue about what happened, why none of them have gone public with these allegations and what can be done by women in similar situations today.

A large study conducted in 2014, The Glass Floor: Sexual Harassment in the Restaurant Industry, revealed there are more than 11 million workers in the restaurant industry, which is one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the economy nationally. It is also the biggest source of sexual harassment complaints filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Women are especially vulnerable in these roles, which are some of the most precarious from a financial standpoint. Approximately 70 percent of all servers are women and more than 60 percent of all tipped jobs are filled by females.  Continue Reading ›

A sexual harassment lawsuit has been filed against a national charity employment organization and one of its affiliates, alleging the two companies failed to protect the female janitorial staff from being routinely targeted for sexual harassment by a night shift supervisor. mopping

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of five workers who worked nights, most of whom were employed by the charity organization’s contractor, which hired the workers through a federal contract to employ those with disabilities. The workers in this program suffered from severe physical, mental or psychological impairments, and were working through this federally-funded program to help them become financially independent. They were assigned to clean a federal building in Oakland, CA each evening.

The supervisor is accused of inappropriate touching and leering. He is alleged to have asked intrusive questions about the women’s sex lives and made propositions to them. He once groped his genitals in front of the female janitors – and others – so often that federal building employees reportedly gave him a crude nickname. This fact alone shows that the behavior was known – or should have been known – by higher-ups. Despite this and repeated reports, the company didn’t take any effective action to help protect these vulnerable workers, according to the complaint.  Continue Reading ›

Sexual harassment claims against the former Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes ultimately cost the executive his job and resulted in a $20 million settlement with former anchor Gretchen Carlson. The allegations embroiled the company in controversy, as Greta Van Susteren, one of the longest-serving hosts, quit abruptly. Later, star Megyn Kelly, who would also come forward with claims of sexual harassment against Ailes, announced she was leaving for NBC. Kelly said she didn’t come forward sooner with her claims of harassment because to do so would have been, “Career suicide.” sad

Now, it seems that these type of incidents were part of a larger pattern, perhaps even a corporate culture, as more allegations against other executives and hosts have been revealed. Most recently, The New York Times reported, was the revelation that 21st Century Fox, which is the parent company of Fox News, quietly settled a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by an employee against prime-time star Bill O’Reilly.

The claim was made by a female Fox broadcaster who first began working for the company in the 1990s. She worked for a time on the Fox & Friends weekend edition show, and she had a regular segment on The O’Reilly Factor. She alleges O’Reilly tried to initiate a sexual relationship with her back in 2011. However, she declined his advance, resulting in his retaliation, according to the lawsuit. Additionally, a long-time Fox News executive, now co-president of the company after Ailes’ ouster, is also accused of retaliation in the case.  Continue Reading ›

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reports that of the thousands of complaints of sexual harassment it receives every year, 17 percent are filed by men. Meanwhile, more than half of women in the workplace report enduring some form of sexual harassment. Although there is no denying that sexual harassment is unacceptable no matter the victim or offender’s gender, instances involving men are beginning to garner more media attention. Although men are less likely to endure sexual harassment, they sometimes have an even steeper uphill battle in getting their employer to take it seriously because certain stereotypes would suggest males welcome this kind of attention. The fact is, they do not and the law makes no distinction. police

Recently, a county sheriff’s officer in Michigan filed a federal employment lawsuit alleging his female boss sexually harassed him and that his male supervisors laughed it off. In one case, an undersheriff told him to, “Take one for the team.” Instead, he took it to court.

Rather than suing his alleged harasser, though, he is taking on his employer for reportedly failing to act on his plea for help. According to court records, his boss reportedly taunted him for more than a year with comments that were sexually-charged an inappropriate. She advanced on him with unwanted behavior of a sexual nature. In one instance, he alleges she offered to give him oral sex. In another instance, she suggested to him getting his wife intoxicated and engaging them both in a sexual act. She also allegedly gave his work partners phony assignments so she would have opportunities to be alone with him. She also reportedly texted his personal cell phone and made it a point to drive by his home.  Continue Reading ›

In mid-2016, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s sexual harassment task force released a report revealing some troubling findings:

  • One-third of complaints to EEOC during fiscal year 2015 included an allegation of workplace harassment, including on the basis of sex.
  • The EEOC recovered nearly $165 million that year from companies where workplace harassment persisted.
  • Much of the current training methods are ineffective at prevention, as they focus mostly on sidestepping legal liability for workplace harassment. woman

Sexual harassment in particular is a serious concern – and a pervasive one.  Continue Reading ›

A former elementary school employee has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the school district and her former boss, alleging her superior subjected her and another paid intern to “severe and pervasive” mistreatment based on their gender. She alleges wrongful termination and retaliation. woman

According to The East Bay Times, the plaintiff worked at one of the district’s elementary schools in Contra Costa County. Her boss was the director of technology with the district. She alleges that he asked her numerous times whether she was “satisfied” by her husband. He routinely commented on her appearance, making sexual comments. He also on occasion forcefully thrust his body up against hers and kissed her on the lips without consent. Plaintiff decided she had to report these incidents to human resources when she heard that a paid intern was enduring similar incidents of sexual harassment.

But when defendant supervisor learned of plaintiff’s intention, he reportedly asked to meet with her privately and at that time told her if she pressed forward with her complaint, it would “change a lot of things.” He assured a poor outcome could be avoided if she would avoid making a report. Plaintiff decided to go forward with her complaint anyway. A human resources officer concluded the allegations had merit, and the supervisor was subsequently placed on leave. But he wasn’t fired. He simply took another position as a technology coordinator for a nearby school district. However, plaintiff didn’t get such a sweet deal.  Continue Reading ›

This summer, the National Park Service celebrated 100 years since its founding. In that time, it’s helped to protect more than 84 million acres of environmental treasures and welcomes 300 million visitors to its sites annually. parks

But a report that was released this year following the Department of Interior’s Office of Inspector General (IG) released a report following a two-year investigation followed complaints filed by more than a dozen former and current female park service employees who alleged discrimination, retaliation and a sexually-hostile work environment over the course of 15 years in the River District of the Grand Canyon. That report showed that in addition to the 13 women who actually filed complaints, there were 22 others who had been suffering from workplace harassment. Then in late September, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform reviewed that investigation – and a number of others from the IG on other parks – and determined the park service was responsible for a pattern of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment that spanned decades.

Of course, the park service isn’t alone in creating this kind of environment. One recent survey by Comparably found that 24 percent of women reported being sexually harassed at work. Another survey by Cosmopolitan magazine indicated 1 in 3 women is sexually harassed at work.  Continue Reading ›

A new labor law in California seeks to aid janitorial workers in the fight against sexual harassment and sexual assault on-the-job. Assembly Bill 1978 was signed recently by Gov. Jerry Brown (D) with the goal of helping property service workers understand what their rights are and to protect themselves from sexual harassment.cleaning

Janitorial employers will now be required to register with the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, which will provide in-person prevention training on sexual violence and sexual harassment for both workers and employers. Workers and supervisors will receive written pamphlets that detail what sexual harassment is and what resources are available if it happens to them. The registration requirement will officially begin July 1, 2018. Those who don’t comply with the statute could face revocation of their license or be required to pay a maximum $10,000 in fines.

Sponsored by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), the bill promises to add both transparency and accountability in an industry that typically employs a high number of disadvantaged workers (Latina females in particular) who are vulnerable to sexual harassment and sexual violence because they often work alone, night shifts and fear deportation if they complain. Gonzalez said these workers need appropriate training and protections to ensure their safety and adequate recourse when a crime or legal violation does occur. Continue Reading ›

Fox News announced it settled with former Anchor Gretchen Carlson – and a “handful” of other women – each of whom had filed lawsuits alleging former CEO Roger Ailes had sexually harassed them. Carlson alone received a $20 million payout.tvstudio

The station’s parent company, 21st Century Fox, owned by Rupert Murdoch and his sons, was the one that paid the settlement. Employment law experts know that the size of Carlson’s compensation is among the largest-known settlements issued for a single plaintiff in a sexual harassment lawsuit. We say “known” because many of these settlement agreements are confidential. In fact, at least two other women who were part of the sexual harassment investigation settled too, wishing to remain anonymous. Still, Ailes himself received a $40 million payout when he exited the company. He will not have to pay any of the $20 million settlement to Carlson or the other women, despite the fact that the lawsuits were originally against him personally.

Also rather unusual: 21st Century Fox issued an apology – a public one at that – to Carlson. She had filed the lawsuit over the summer, alleging Ailes removed her from the popular show and slashed her pay when she refused to have a sexual relationship with him. The apology statement conceded that Carlson was not treated with the respect and dignity she was owed.  Continue Reading ›

A public transportation worker in Washington D.C. is suing the agency for damages in excess of $200,000 after she claims her supervisor repeatedly asked her for, demanded or forced hugs. Eventually, she said, when she reported the sexual harassment, her boss retaliated against her. hug1

The federal employment lawsuit alleges her supervisors ignored repeated reports of this treatment, even as another assistant superintendent in the bus division where plaintiff worked revealed he had a history of sexual harassment at the firm.

This case presents a good opportunity to talk about the H-word: Hugs. For some, hugs are viewed as a way to “spread the love.” But our sexual harassment lawyers know they can also be a liability to workplaces that allow them to go unchecked.  Continue Reading ›

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