What is Sexual Harassment?

Sexual harassment in the workplace is a serious offense. It violates both federal and state law. If you think you are a victim of sexual harassment or if you think your work environment is hostile or threatening due to inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature, you have a right to protest and fight back. I can help.

Edward N. Ajlouny
San Jose Workplace Sexual Harassment Plaintiff's Lawyer

Sexual harassment in the workplace is considered a form of unlawful sex discrimination. It can occur under a variety of circumstances:

The victim may be a woman or a man.
The harasser may be a woman or a man.
The victim and harasser may be of the same sex or the opposite sex.
The offensive behavior must be unwelcome.
The harasser may be the victim's supervisor, someone else in a supervisory or managerial position within the place of employment, a coworker, a nonemployee, or a third party such as a client or an agent of the employer.
The victim can be anyone affected by the offensive conduct.
The offensive behavior may occur without causing economic injury to the victim.
Sexual harassment may occur in schools, including colleges and universities.

Quid Pro Quo

There are two different types of sexual harassment claims. Quid pro quo, meaning "one thing for another," occurs when a supervisor or other person in a position of authority asks for sex in exchange for favorable treatment, such as a promotion or raise, or in exchange for not doing something unfavorable, such as firing or hurting the victim in some other way. The behavior may include unwanted comments about a person's body, repeatedly asking someone out on a date, or the unwanted touching of intimate body parts.

Hostile Work Environment

Sexual harassment also can occur in the workplace when inappropriate behavior of a more general nature is so severe or pervasive that it creates an atmosphere that is offensive to the point of hostility. Such behavior may include the posting of demeaning sexual photographs, jokes, threats, or slurs.

Court decisions can vary widely in sexual harassment cases, depending on various factors in the case. For an employee to bring suit for sexual harassment, he or she must first report the offensive behavior to the employer.

Contact the Law Office of Edward Ajlouny

If you think you are a victim of sexual harassment at work and you want to take legal action, contact an experienced attorney who will explain your options and guide you through the process.

Please call or e-mail today and tell me about your situation. I know how to help.

Edward N. Ajlouny
Attorney at Law
111 West St. John Street, Suite 555
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 297-6425
(408) 298-4551 fax
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