Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer Blog

The Los Angeles Times Magazine's former publisher has filed suit against the Tribune Company, asking for $13 million for what he claims was wrongful termination, defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violations of business and professions code, The Wrap reports.

Wrongful termination in Los Angeles, especially cases in which men are involved and sexual harassment is alleged, has become more and more common.

Many years ago, sexual harassment claims in Los Angeles typically were filed by women who said they were being treated unfairly. But that has changed. Men are now not only subjected to sexual harassment, but have become confident to report it -- two critical changes in our country's workforce in recent years.

Like any sexual harassment claim, the victim mustn't attempt to go about this type of action alone. It is a complex area of law and requires the trained eye of a Newport Beach sexual harassment lawyer. Because the stakes are high -- a person's job is on the line and high dollar amounts hang in the balance -- an experienced lawyer must be called in to help.

According to the article, the man filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court saying he witnessed sexual harassment and was rebuffed when he tried to contact Human Resources to report it.

He also alleges that customers in low-income and "demographically minority neighborhoods" called to complaint that they weren't receiving the magazine even though they were paying the full subscription price like everyone else.

When he went to his boss, he was told there was a "story" to explain the situation.

After bringing forth both complaints, he claims his character was attacked by higher-ups in order to make him look bad in front of co-workers and loosen his grip of power on the operation. Later, he was fired for "poor revenue," "damaged relationships" and an "inability to manage his direct reports."

He denies those claims, saying he got bonuses for meeting high revenue marks during his tenure with the magazine. He believes he was fired because he brought up sexual harassment in the workplace and because he was concerned about the unethical distribution of the magazine.

He is seeking $13 million in damages, mostly due to loss of salary and emotional distress, but also due to damage of his reputation. He claims his bosses went to great lengths to defame him and make it difficult for him to get work in the future.

Lawsuits like these take a lot of courage and the right set of circumstances. They can serve to not only help a victim of wrongful termination and sexual harassment, but also change the culture of a company.

If bosses allow unlawful treatment of their employees, it often takes a big-dollar settlement or jury verdict to get them to change their tune and create change. Other employees may not want to come forward with complaints, but even one whistle-blower can make a big difference.