Nicole Staso, a Passaic County sheriff’s deputy in New Jersey, is suing the department alleging years of sexual harassment and retaliation. Staso claims that she was subjected to inappropriate comments about her appearance and false rumors about her personal life. These issues allegedly began in 2017 when she was hired and continued throughout her employment. Despite her qualifications and “stellar work ethic,” Staso says she was passed over for promotions and assignments. She was even suspended twice on what appear to be fabricated charges. The lawsuit alleges this harassment intensified after she was briefly promoted to detective, only to have it rescinded “based on false accusations about her conduct and personal life.” You can read a full article about this case at NJ.com: full article
In California, the Fair Employment Housing Act (FEHA) prohibits sexual harassment in the workplace. Whether that person is paid or unpaid, such as an intern, does not matter. While there is no bright line rule defining what sexual harassment looks like, it can be broken down into two categories:
- Hostile work environment
- Quid pro quo sexual harassment
Hostile Work Environment harassment is where an offensive work environment is created by conduct such as staring at someone, making sexual comments and jokes, or physically touching or blocking a person in an intimidating manner. The harassment is unlawful regardless of whether it is motivated by sexual desire. The same conduct can be harassing for men, women and people who identify as non-binary. Sexual harassment can also occur between members of the same sex.
Quid pro quo harassment, AKA, tit for tat, is where decisions are conditioned on sexual favors. These sexual favors can be in return for a benefit, such as a promotion, or in the form of a threat, which may involve a worker being fired for not performing a sexual act on a supervisor. These kinds of violations can be stated expressly or implied. Indeed, hinting at a job benefit in exchange for sexual favors can constitute quid pro quo sexual harassment.
At the Law Offices of Eric A. Boyajian, our attorneys are committed to fighting for justice and we are expert Sexual Harassment Lawyers in California. If you believe you are a victim of sexual harassment in your workplace, contact us today for a free consultation.