Pelton Graham LLC represented 3 sales employees for a marketing company who were subjected to same-sex sexual harassment pursuant to a corporate policy that permitted the supervisor to engage in inappropriate contact with the employees based on their job performance. Pelton Graham LLC recovered $1.5 Million for these victims of sexual harassment through a pre-litigation settlement.
It is unlawful for an employer to harass an employee or applicant because of that person’s sex. Harassment can include “sexual harassment” or unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature. Both the victim and the harasser can be either a woman or a man, and the victim and harasser can be the same sex.
Employers often get away with harassing their workers because if the harasser is a supervisor or someone else who has more power than the victim, the victim is likely to be afraid to speak up or afraid that refusing the sexual advances will negatively impact their job. Even if a worker accepts a hug that is unwanted or laughs off a joke that is sexual in nature and offensive, that does not mean the behavior is not sexual harassment and should be stopped.
You should contact an attorney experienced in handling sexual harassment matters to discuss your personal situation and discover what claims you may have. The attorneys at Pelton Graham are experienced at advocating for clients who have experienced sexual harassment at work and are happy to talk with you about your experience. Consultations are free, and as contingency fee attorneys, we do not get paid unless we recover for you.