Best Ohio Sexual Harassment Attorney Answer: Can I sue my boss if he forces me to have sex with him? Can I sue if I’m being sexually harassed at work? How much money can I get if my manager asks me to have sex with him? What Is Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment?
Being forced to have sex or
engage in sex acts by a person in power is one of the most traumatic events
that a woman can directly endure. Power can mean many things in this situation.
He can mean by physical force; resulting in rape. Power can also come from the
positional authority of a boss, manager, supervisor, or even the owner of the
company that you work at, who leverages your job to demand sexual favors or
even sex. Quid pro quo sexual harassment is one form of sexual harassment that
is based on a person of power at work demanding to have sex or engage in sexual
acts in exchange for job benefits, including, for example, job security, not
being fired, a promotion, a raise, time off or even perks like vacations or
better work equipment. Obviously, quid pro quo sexual harassment is unlawful
under both the federal Title
VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Ohio Revised Code § 4112.01. (See My
Boss Wants To Be My Sugar Daddy!; Can
My Boss Fire Me If I Refuse His Sexual Advances? Help, I Need The Best Sex
Harassment Lawyer In Ohio!; Can
I Sue If My Boss Texted Me That I Have To Have Sex With Him! I Need A Lawyer!).
Unfortunately, many employers
will defend engaging in quid pro quo sexual harassment by blaming the victim –
“Well, she agreed to it,” “I did not rape her,” or worse yet, “she had the
choice to say no.” These defenses are not only disgusting but are not actual
legal defenses. The very definition of illegal quid pro quo sexual harassment
is that the female employee is offered or receives a benefit in exchange for
sex or sexual favors.
Given the confidentiality
requirements of being employment
attorneys, we have avoided blogging about the many sessions where various
sexual victims have described how their bosses’ conduct has impacted them. But,
recently, the accounts of Chanel Miller have provided a voice for these women.
If you don’t recognize her name, you likely still remember her story. In 2015,
Miller was attacked while unconscious after drinking too much at a fraternity
party at Stanford University. Two young men on bicycles rescued her after
spotting Ohio native Brock Turner on top of her behind a dumpster. Turner tried
to run away but the young men chased him down and held him until the police
arrived. Chanel’s victim impact statement went viral during Turner’s trial:
“The next thing I remember I was in a
gurney in a hallway. I had dried blood and bandages on the backs of my hands
and elbow. I thought maybe I had fallen and was in an admin office on campus. I
was very calm and wondering where my sister was. A deputy explained that I had
been assaulted…After a few hours, they let me shower. I stood there examining
my body beneath the stream of water and decided, I don’t want my body anymore.
I was terrified of it, I didn’t know what had been in it, if it had been
contaminated, who had touched it. I wanted to take off my body like a jacket
and leave it at the hospital with everything else.”
Turner was tried and eventually
convicted of three counts of sexual assault. There was public outrage when
Turner was only sentenced to six months in county jail after facing a potential
14 years in federal prison. And rightfully so, our firm could not stop talking
about Turner’s sentencing hearing. It made an absolute mockery of the justice
system. Another privileged white guy, essentially getting off because of his
status in society—disgusting. Californian’s were equally outraged because after
the sentencing hearing, a campaign started for a recall of Judge Aaron Persky. In
June 2018, Persky was the first California judge that was recalled
in more than 80 years. It does not help Chanel, but at the very least, Perksy
cannot do the same thing to someone else. Chanel just released a book, Know My
Name, telling her side of the story on September 24, 2019, which is available
at Amazon.
There is no doubt that being
sexually assaulted is one of the worst things that can happen to a person. The
circumstances that lead to an assault vary so greatly. Sometimes sexual
assaults happen at parties, in public spaces, by a friend, by a stranger, but unfortunately,
all too often, they occur at work.
If you are the victim of sexual
harassment, you are not alone; you are not at fault; you have nothing to be
embarrassed about; and you need help. In Ohio, sexual harassment victims can
sue the perpetrator personally, and if that sexual harassing perpetrator was a
manager, supervisor, boss or owner, the company will be directly liable. While
employers are not generally liable for the intentional torts of their non-managerial
employees, if the sexual assault was proceeded by sexual harassment, the
employee may have a claim for that.
Sexual harassment is unlawful under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and similar Ohio laws. Sexual
harassment is a form of gender discrimination. If you feel that you are being
sexually harassed or are working in a sexually charged or hostile working
environment, you should not wait to call the right attorney
to schedule a free and confidential consultation. At The Spitz
Law Firm, you will meet with a sexual harassment lawyer/hostile work
environment attorney to find out what your legal rights are and the best way to
protect them. Sexual harrassment is a form of gender discrimination, and
employers should be held accountable if they discriminate against female
workers in any fashion – but particularly for sexual harrassment. It does not matter
if you have been wrongfully fired or are still employed, there is no reason to
wait to find out what your legal rights are and how to protect yourself from
sexual harassment and gender discrimination. Call our office at 866-797-6040.
Disclaimer:
The materials available at the top of
this page and at this gender discrimination, wrongful termination, and sex
harassment law website are for informational purposes only and not for the
purpose of providing legal advice. If you are still asking “what should I do if
my boss is demanding sex”, “I’m being sexually harassed at work” “my supervisor
grabbed my boob”, “my boss groped me,” “I was fired today for refusing to have
sex with the owner of the company I work at,” or “how do I find the top
employment lawyer”, your best course is to contact an Ohio sexual
harassment attorney/hostile work environment lawyer to obtain advice with respect to
sexual harassment/hostile work environment questions or any particular
employment law issue. Use and access to this employment law website or any of
the links contained within the site do not create an attorney-client
relationship. The legal opinions expressed at the top of this page or through
this employment law website are the opinions of the individual lawyer and may
not reflect the opinions of Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm, Brian Spitz, or any individual attorney.