Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer Blog

Some people believe that the only place you may find sexual harassment in Los Angeles is inside sleek glass office buildings, inside board rooms or at government buildings.

But is has been well documented in recent years that high schools and colleges have been prone to sexual harassment allegations and not just within the professors' lounge. Many students have come out with allegations against faculty and staff, claiming that they were subjected to sexual harassment.

Our Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyers believe that sexual harassment shouldn't happen anywhere, but it certainly shouldn't be happening to our young people. Going through school, whether high school or college, is enough of a challenge without having to deal with sex-based harassment.

The added pressures of being sexually harassed can do nothing but harm. As we reported on our blog in November, nearly 1 in 2 students -- 48 percent -- report they have been sexually harassed at least once in middle or high school. The fact that it's starting in middle school is horrendous.

What better setting for sexual harassment to run rampant than at colleges and universities? There, professors are tenured and well-respected. They have built up good will and are presented with thousands of co-eds, many young and attractive. But some, rather than focusing on their jobs and their task of educating young people and preparing them for a successful future, are using their power to sexually harass students or other co-workers. This is simply not acceptable, but it happens.

The University City Patch recently reported that a former Washington University graduate student filed a lawsuit recently against the St. Louis college, alleging that a printmaking professor sexually harassed her.

According to the news story, the university filed a lawsuit against the Missouri Commission on Human Rights asking the court to stop an investigation into the discrimination allegations. The court in that case has yet to rule.

According to the woman's lawsuit, she alleges the professor was assigned to be her advisor and that he suggested her work include violence, assault and rape against women. He further directed her to use big, silicone, human-like breasts on animals and make blood a part of her work, including sexually suggestive and violent topics, the lawsuit states.

He also allegedly said he needed a "hot blonde" to sell his work and told the student she needed to use her "sex appeal" to sell his work.

In a case out of South Carolina, a former women's soccer top recruit filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the university and five officials alleging she was harassed and denied a scholarship because of unwanted sexual advances from a coach.

Rather than conduct an investigation, the lawsuit states, officials steered conversations with the student's parents into trying to pacify them. An advisor told her the coach had had other allegations with students.

Not reporting sexual harassment at school allows it to continue. The only way to stop it is to ensure officials know. Getting sound legal advice from an experienced Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer should be your first step.

Continue reading "School Sexual Harassment in Los Angeles Happens, but it Should be Stopped" »

There are uncomfortable work situations every day that rise to the level of sexual harassment in Los Angeles.

Whether legal or not, many workers believe they can get away with sexual harassment and suffer no consequences. Workplaces where this is the norm must be transformed. People simply shouldn't have to be subjected to this type of behavior on a daily basis, or at all.

Our Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyers have seen the emotional torment that people have endured because they don't want to go to work, feel ostracized or experience trepidation or stress because of their work environment. Our attorneys are prepared to fight to ensure that this doesn't continue.

Sexual harassment allegations doesn't mean a victim should "toughen up," "be apart of the team" or "let it go." This is a serious violation that cannot continue. A victim of sexual harassment may be asked to perform sexual acts in order to get a job or earn a promotion, they may be subjected to unwanted touching, comments or sexual banter.

Co-workers may make sexually based jokes that are inappropriate or make a person feel uncomfortable or send out emails that likewise reference sex and can victimize colleagues.

At any rate, as Business Insurance rightly points out, sexual harassment is a big workplace problem and can be fueled by social media as well as environments where it is allowed to happen.

The trade publication points to more informal work environments, the use of social media by many people and human nature as reasons why sexual harassment is still a big problem in American businesses. Experts say employers should create strongly worded policies, increase training and create a sexual harassment policy to address the issue.

Herman Cain's recent decision to suspend his bid for President because of sexual harassment allegations has brought the issue to the forefront in recent months. In 2010, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported there were nearly 12,000 complaints of sexual harassment.

The article reports that the Society for Human Resource Management reported that 64 percent of organizations got at least one sexual harassment claim in the previous two years. It is an issue that continues coming up, even though it should be preventable with a little common sense, courtesy and decency.

While sexual harassment is still a problem, some 20 to 30 years after it was first recognized as an issue, it has changed, experts say. In years past, victims were asked for sexual favors and, typically, the victims were women. Now, more women are perpetrators compared to the past, and a hostile work environment is the bigger issue rather than asking for sex.

Analysts say that most people who create these environments do so because they don't believe the rules apply to them and they feel they can do what they want. With workplaces becoming less formal, the lines between home and work behavior have become blurred.

Continue reading "Sexual Harassment in Los Angeles Still a Serious Workplace Problem" »

Major controversy erupted in North Carolina recently when a school system suspended a 9-year-old boy because he called his teacher "cute," Fox News reports.

Certainly sexual harassment anywhere, including sexual harassment in Los Angeles, is a serious offense. And as we have reported on Sexual Harassment Lawyer Blog, half of students feel they have been sexually harassed at school.

So, the issue of sexual harassment at school is an issue that must be addressed. But, there also must be perspective in situations like this. Most people who are guilty of sexual harassment, our Los Angeles sexual assault attorneys have found, are adult men in corporate settings. This doesn't mean that women can't be the perpetrators -- that certainly happens as well.

But to consider a child, not even a teenager, was punished for sexual harassment seems to be quite a stretch. According to Fox News, the boy's mother got a call from the principal at the elementary school, who said the comment of calling a teacher "cute" was a form of sexual harassment. The boy was suspended for two days.

An official said the boy was suspended for "inappropriate behavior" for making "inappropriate statements." The news comes as Massachusetts officials are investigating claims of sexual harassment after a first-grader struck another boy his age in the groin. Those boys are 7.

The Charlotte Observer is reporting that the long-time principal of the North Carolina school in question has recently resigned.

The man has worked in the school district for more than 40 years and resigned from the elementary school because of the flap caused by his decision to suspend the 9-year-old. The newspaper reports the boy called a teacher "fine." The boy told his mother he said "cute."

School officials reviewed the case, the newspaper reports, and found that the boy was not guilty of sexual harassment as the mother was first told and his suspension was later erased from his record.

The school administrator -- with 15 years as a principal and 34 years of experience in the system -- told a newspaper he was forced to resign or be fired. School officials said he resigned.

The awareness of sexual harassment has moved in waves in this country. At times, people have seemed to be aware of it and at other times, its importance to some people has waned.

Every day, it happens. Sexual harassment in Los Angeles is a problem, yet many corporations don't take it seriously. Saying something of a sexual nature in a business setting is inappropriate and unlawful. Sending vulgar and sexually themed e-mails and asking for sexual favors in exchange for work or promotions are all offenses that can be used in support of a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Continue reading "9-Year-Old Suspended From School For 'Cute' Comment, Sexual Harassment" »

It seems like ages ago that we were first hearing about allegations that Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain had engaged in sexual harassment when he headed up the National Restaurant Association.

In only three weeks, it seems his campaign has imploded and may soon be over. Herman Cain has gone from atop the polls to the bottom after two more women came forward alleging sexual harassment, and another now says the two had an "on and off" affair for the last 13 years.

As the Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer Blog reported in early November, Cain's alleged conduct follows the path of many men and women in power in the United States today.

In workplaces where this conduct goes unreported, it flourishes. If people in power, typically bosses or supervisors, are allowed to use that power and influence to hold it over subordinates, the workplace is a prime place for sexual harassment in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyers see everyday examples of offices or organizations where sexually explicit e-mails, offensive jokes or even outward requests for sexual favors are made. All of these are blatant examples of sexual harassment.

Co-workers simply aren't allowed to make sexual jokes, make unwanted touches, talk about sex or do other unlawful acts. But the power comes in the victim. If the victim decides to "let it go" or "move on," requests a transfer simply to get away or just "deal with it," the issue will only continue. And if the victim believes that ignoring it will make it go away, it may go away for one person, but another may fall victim.

A recent Wall Street Journal article looks at whether Cain will continue running his campaign despite the backlash. Cain has denied all allegations, but there have been five such examples of alleged sexual misbehavior in the last month. He has told the news media he will make a decision soon.

In the first allegations, the news media reported that two women had reached settlements with the restaurant association after Cain allegedly sexually harassed them while he was in leadership. Then, two additional women came forward in the weeks after the story broke, also alleging harassment.

Then, most recently, a Georgia woman said Cain, the former Godfather's Pizza CEO, had an "on and off" affair with her for more than a decade. She told a TV station he would buy her gifts and send her on trips to destination spots to meet up with him.

Sexual harassment is a major allegation. And while it may be looked at less seriously than in years past, Americans still treat it as a big misstep. But, strangely, victims don't always report it. They sometimes think that if they do, their careers could suffer. That's called retaliation and that's also unlawful. There are laws to protect victims and Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyers are here to help.

Continue reading "Herman Cain's Presidential Campaign in Shambles After Sexual Harassment, Affair Allegations" »