Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer Blog

Siegfried & Roy, famous Las Vegas entertainers, have won more than $37,000 in a suit that was filed against Roy because of faulty allegations of sexual harassment from one of the performer's assistants, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

A Las Vegas District Court Judge ordered a former assistant of the star's to pay the sum as a sanction for asserting baseless sexual harassment claims against Roy and the company that owned the duo, according to media's wife. The former assistant's wife was also part of the order.

The suit first came into the public eye last year when the assistant reported the sexual harassment accusations. These allegations stated that the male assistant was subjected to sexual overtures by both of the stars. The man also claimed that he was let go from the company after he had rejected sexual advances from Roy. Sexual harassment claims in Newport Beach and elsewhere involve male victims more often than in the past.

Our Newport Beach sexual harassment attorneys understand that the number of male sexual harassment victims climbed significantly since the beginning of the recession. During this time, officials started receiving an increased number of these complaints. It is estimated that more than 16 percent of all of the sexual harassment claims -- or more than 2,000 claim filed in 2009 -- were filed by men, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. We're seeing more and more male sexual harassment cases. These cases oftentimes include behavior involving unwanted sexual advances and groping. This "locker room" type behavior, including vulgarity and horseplay, is completely unacceptable regardless of age, race or sex.

The assistant to the performing duo was described as a heterosexual married man who had been hired to help out Roy with everyday needs like getting dressed and grooming. Reports indicated that Roy still needed assistance because of the injuries that were suffered in 2003 when he was attacked by a tiger at a show at the Mirage.

Roy defended the case by saying that the assistant took advantage of his trust, his medical condition and his age in an attempt to gain monetary rewards from Roy. The assistant reportedly used 'video surveillance' to bribe the star for a monetary payoff. When the video failed to produce the desired results, the assistant reported that improper sexual conduct was displayed at Roy's home. And that a hostile work environment restled when the assistant rejected the sexual offers. These false allegations led to the dismissal of the assistant, reports Roy.

It was also stated, by the defendants, that the accusing party made this case as publicly embarrassing and as costly as possible.

Initially, the assistant requested $500,000 from Roy personally, but when he refused to pay the assistant he was threatened with a criminal investigation.

"Many people mistakenly believe that harassment is limited to females," says Roberta Chinsky Matuson, a human resource expert. "The truth is that this type of experience is just as damaging to men."

Continue reading "Entertainer in Siegfried & Roy and the Falsified Sexual Harassment Claims in Los Vegas" »

The California State Senate recently passed the Equality and Equal Access in Higher Education bill (AB 620), which aims to stop harassment and bullying against LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) students and staff members at all California public and private colleges.

This bill was first introduced by Assembly member Marty Block (D-San Diego) and was sponsored by Equality California, according to San Diego Gay & Lesbian News.

Under this legislation, public universities and colleges are required to create and enforce a policy for all campus members that would regulate intimidation and harassment in California. It would be included in the school's code of conduct. AB 620 is an addition to the current 2009 California Postsecondary Education Commission, which requires that staff members address the needs of LGBT students, faculty and staff members.

Our Los Angeles sexual assault attorneys understand that while this bill doesn't have the ability to protect all LGBT residents in our state, this is a beneficial step towards total acceptance. So many times, residents are singled out and bullied because of their sexual orientation. Residents have a right to freedom and protection and we're here to help obtain these rights for our residents, tourists, workers and students.

"Students attending our public colleges and universities deserve a campus that is serious about providing a safe environment," said Block.

Unfortunately, harassment and bullying continues to be a threat to LGBT students in our state. The result of such oppressive behavior oftentimes forces these individuals to underperform in class and eventually drop out of school. This type of behavior should never be tolerated in any situation.

A number of colleges and universities currently collect information regarding student and staff member's gender identity and sexual orientation just as it would race, ethnicity and gender. Under the bill, all colleges must offer these check-boxes.

According to a University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey (UCUES) that was conducted in 2008, a number of LGBT students in the state constantly face obstacles and challenges that many heterosexual students do not.

These additional obstacles are addressed through additional resources and campus services to help them to fight through the issue and to continue on in a successful path to a higher education. The survey also concluded that LGBT students have a higher rate of substance abuse, sexual health risks, family acceptance issues and mental health challenges, in comparison to heterosexual students, because of bullying, harassment and discrimination.

About a third of all LGBT students confess that they have serious depression concerns. This concern is roughly 50 percent higher in these students than the concerns in heterosexual students. Lastly, more than 90 percent of surveyed heterosexual students reported they felt "respected on campus." Less than 75 percent of LGBT students reported this feeling.

Continue reading "LGBT Students Protected Against Sexual Harassment in California under AB 620" »

High-profile Hollywood producer Jon Peters recently lost a jury trial and was ordered to pay $822,000 in damages to a former personal assistant, the Los Angeles Times reports.

This is yet another case of a person in power -- most typically a man -- who lords over a person at work without power to make his or her work environment uncomfortable. This is, plain and simple, sexual harassment in Los Angeles.

It's not only wrong, but also unlawful. And, unfortunately, it's not uncommon. As the Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer Blog reported recently, a "Price is Right" model recently sued the show, alleging that upper management harassed and bullied her and others at the show.

This type of work environment is unacceptable and only an experienced and aggressive Orange County Sexual Harassment Lawyer can teach these bosses a lesson through litigation aimed at correcting an unlawful situation.

Sexual harassment is typically defined as unwanted sexual advances, touching, conversations and can even include sexually based emails that are offensive or requests for sexual favors in exchange for promotions and benefits at work. This doesn't only apply to male bosses and female worker situations; it has applied to male workers and female bosses in recent years, as well.

In this case, Peters, who produced "Caddyshack," "Rain Man," Bonfire of the Vanities" and "Superman Returns," among other movies, was accused of acting with malice toward his former personal assistant, which will require an additional hearing that could result in more damages awarded to the 44-year-old woman.

According to the news article, Peters inappropriately touched her at his Malibu home, got into bed with her in an Australian hotel, and exposed himself to her and her then-2-year-old daughter in an outdoor restroom at his Santa Barbara ranch. After she quit his firm, the man's influence prevented her from getting another job, she claimed.

Sadly, this is a way of life for some people working in the movie business in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California. People in power like to throw around that influence and make sure nothing threatens it, including a person who works for them.

Unfortunately, this often ensnares hard-working people who face difficulties at work simply because of their appearance or because of the poor decisions being made by higher-ups who control the purse strings and hiring and firing duties. And with unemployment -- especially in California and the movie industry -- in bad shape, some people will simply endure a bad situation in order to continue getting a paycheck.

But that doesn't have to be the case. Hiring an experienced sexual harassment lawyer is the first step in fighting back. Don't allow bosses to treat you poorly because of the job market and your insecurity. Turn the tables and make them pay for treating you poorly.

Continue reading "High-Profile Hollywood Producer Ordered to Pay $800k For Sexual Harassment Lawsuit" »

A former model on the popular daytime television game show The Price is Right has sued the show and its producers for alleged wrongful termination and sexual harassment, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Charges of sexual harassment in Los Angeles are serious because they imply that a person has been subjected to unwanted sexually based comments or behavior while at work. Sadly, this happens all the time. People in power tend to abuse that power and somehow think it is excusable. In other cases, they may attempt to pass it off as a joke and suggest the employee is being too "sensitive."

Fighting back with an experienced and aggressive Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer is the best way to show the person and the company you mean business. You can protect your job and prevent other employees from suffering similar abuse.

In a recently filed lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the former worker alleges that upper management at the show used "power and control over women by bullying and harassing" the female workers. The lawsuit states that the model began working at the show in 2003 and had no problems until 2009, when one of the show's producers stopped talking to her and started to show favoritism to another model with whom he was in a relationship.

The lawsuit cites one alleged incident when a producer burst into a dressing room and berated the model -- while she was topless and wearing only a pair of underwear -- in front of other models for not wearing a microphone. The lawsuit states that many times models don't wear microphones because of the quick turnaround in changing outfits.

Another worker apologized for the incident, but it wasn't reported to management. When she was called into a meeting about sexual harassment against another model, she complained about her own treatment.

And months later, she asked for a day off for a family commitment and was told not to work the entire week. When she returned, she was told she was "holding the show hostage" because of her complaint.

In these tough economic times, the perpetrators of sexual harassment somehow believe that they have even more power because no one wants to rock the boat and potentially lose their job. With unemployment soaring -- it's around 12 percent in California -- this is another way to exploit power and try to treat employees in a manner that is against the law.

But standing up to these injustices is critical. Even if someone isn't facing the harassment, they can be a whistleblower and receive protection from the state and federal government in order to ensure they keep their job.

Sometimes lawsuits are the only way to teach a company and its managers the right way to do things. If a culture of harassment is so engrained that workers feel helpless and bosses have no rules and feel they can operate as they wish, a jury may be the only way to change the atmosphere.

Continue reading "Former 'Price is Right' Model Sues Show for Sexual Harassment in Los Angeles" »