For more than 40 years, Jeremiah A. Denton III, P.C. has represented Virginia Beach residents in cases involving sexual harassment, gender discrimination and defamation. We act with compassion and determination because we believe that everybody has the right to a harassment-free workplace. Read our lawyers’ responses to frequently asked questions for basic information about sexual harassment. Then, contact our office to discuss your individual case.
To learn more about sexual harassment in the workplace, call Jeremiah A. Denton III, P.C. at 757-215-4818 or contact us online to schedule an appointment.
It is against the law for anybody to discriminate against or harass another person in the workplace. Both men and women can be harassers.
The law protects both genders from sexual discrimination and harassment.
A supervisor or employee in any division of your company may be responsible for the type of offensive behavior that makes your workplace a hostile environment.
The conduct of customers, clients and agents of your employer may be considered sexual harassment.
Many employers have policies regarding sexual harassment and grievance complaints. Check your employee handbook or your company website for information about following the proper protocol. If you cannot locate information about reporting offensive conduct, our law firm can guide you in this vital first step to protecting your rights in the workplace.
A sexual harassment claim requires that the conduct is unwanted. Flirting in the past does not prohibit you from changing your mind about your supervisor’s conduct. However, you must explicitly express your desire that the behavior stop or he will likely claim that his advances were encouraged and therefore not sexual harassment.
A one-time compliment about your clothes is unlikely to rise to the level of sexual harassment. If the comments are unwanted and pervasive, or are part of a wider pattern of harassment, you may have a cause of action.
Your employer is prohibited from retaliating against you for reporting harassment or discrimination. Whistleblower statutes protect you from termination, demotion, harassment, pay cuts and reassignment intended as retribution for your participation in a sexual harassment complaint.