Over the last few decades, women have moved into the workplace in massive numbers. This laudable social change has given these women a measure of economic independence that is unparalleled in the country’s history.
However, women are still too often the subject of harassment and degradation in the workplace. At The Cochran Firm, our employment lawyers have long fought for the innocent victims of sexual harassment, whatever their gender.
Sexual harassment is legally considered a form of sex discrimination. Sex discrimination violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It wasn't until the late 1980s that the Supreme Court extended the definition of sex discrimination to include sexual harassment in the workplace. After the ruling, it became unlawful to harass a person, an applicant, or an employee because of their sex.
You have a right to a sexual harassment-free workplace. You have a right to be judged by the quality of your work and your character. That was Johnnie Cochran’s philosophy, and it is still the guiding belief of his firm.
If you’ve been the victim of sexual harassment and need an experienced employment lawyer, please call The Cochran Firm today at 1-800-The-Firm for a free, no-obligation consultation.
What is Sexual Harassment?
Sexual harassment can take many forms, some of which are quite subtle. This gives firms room to claim that they aren’t guilty of sexual harassment even when the actions of certain employees or executives have made others’ lives miserable.
Some commonly seen forms of sexual harassment include:
- Quid pro quo harassment; superior offering promotions, raises, or other work considerations in exchange for sexual favors. It sometimes takes the form of sexual extortion, where a superior blackmails an employee with threats to his or her job.
- Hostile work environments, where the issue is not a specific act or moment but instead a larger organizational culture.
Hostile work environment cases are often complicated, as organizations will attempt to argue that their culture is “raucous” or “free-wheeling” instead of hostile. Fortunately, The Cochran Firm’s employment lawyers know that lewd behavior or unwanted sexual advances, even when not coupled with threats or inducements, are unacceptable.
Anyone can be a victim of sexual harassment, regardless of gender. The roles of victim and harasser are not gender specific. The harasser can be the victim’s supervisor, co-worker, client, or customer. The harassment does not have to be direct, the victim can be an employee who is indirectly yet negatively affected by the offensive conduct.
Pursuing Justice
You don’t have to grit your teeth and just deal with sexual harassment. It is a violation of state and federal law, and The Cochran Firm can help you if you’ve been victimized.
While the legal avenues available to you will be determined by the laws of your state and local community, the courts can usually help a sexual harassment victim by:
- Providing compensation for economic harm (such as lost wages)
- Providing compensation for emotional pain and suffering
- Ordering the employee re-instated to his or her position, if it’s determined that the job was lost as a result of sexual harassment
The Cochran Firm’s lawyers will carefully explain your options and help you understand what compensation is available to you.
If you need an experienced employment lawyer, please contact The Cochran Firm today for a free, no-obligation consultation.