Sexual harassment is a form of gender discrimination that is prohibited by state and federal law.
Sexual harassment involves unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
It is unlawful for an employer to make sexual conduct a term or condition of employment. It is also unlawful for an employer to base employment decisions on sexual conduct, or to permit sexual conduct that unreasonably interferes with an employee's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment. Unwanted touching, lewd comments, displays of sexual objects, images, or photographs may constitute sexual harassment when they interfere with an individual's work performance.
Employers must remedy any sexual harassment situations that are known, or of which the employer should be aware. This includes sexual harassment of lower-tier employees by a manager or executive and sexual harassment among coworkers.
Cases involving allegations of sexual harassment generally require exhausting administrative remedies before the individual can file a lawsuit against the employer.
Contact the Law Office of Catherine Chukwueke if you believe you have been sexually harassed in the workplace.