Not all employees are treated equally and many find themselves the victims of various kinds of abuse while on the job. Employment-related lawsuits are a way for employees in Florida and elsewhere to seek justice after instances of abuse, such as being sexually harassed. Florida courts, and courts in other states throughout the nation, take sexual harassment allegations seriously and strive to protect the victims from continued injustice. Compensation is available and no person should have to put up with this kind of mistreatment.
Recently, a district court in another state decided that the editor-in-chief of a newspaper must face sexual harassment charges that were brought against him four years ago. A female employee made several graphic claims against the man. The worst of those complaints included allegations that the man rubbed his genitalia against her. The woman also claimed that the man made inappropriate comments regarding her body and showed her and other employees sexually explicit pictures of a disrobed man on his cell phone. Another male employee of the newspaper has been accused of offering a quid pro quo request for sexual favors to a female staff member he supervised.
At the center of this New York sexual harassment case is the fact that the woman was fired after she objected to using a racist cartoon, which depicted President Obama as a chimpanzee. The tabloid newspaper is known for hiring very few African-Americans to work as editors. The woman cites other instances of racial discrimination and sexual harassment inside her 38-page legal complaint.
It is the responsibility of employers to create and foster a work environment that is free of inappropriate behavior such as sexual harassment. Managers are required to put a stop to sexual harassment whenever they discover that it is occurring. Employees are required to act in a way that is respectful to their co-workers. Finally, victims owe it to themselves and their co-workers to report instances of sexual harassment so that management has an opportunity to curb that behavior and take appropriate action. Florida residents who have suffered damages due to sexual harassment on-the-job can seek financial reimbursement and other legal relief as provided under state and federal laws.
Source: theatlanticwire.com, The New York Post Will Have to Face Its Sexual Harassment Lawsuit, Zach Schonfeld, Oct. 29, 2013