New York City Employment Law Blog | New York City Sexual Harassment Attorneys
Los Angeles, California, – The Los Angeles County DA’s office has been hit with a series of shocking sexual harassment allegations. The department has issued a number of statements regarding the matter and the supervising prosecutor in question has been reassigned to a new department while the investigation is conducted.
In the lawsuit, two deputy district attorneys claim to have been subjected to inappropriate touching and lewd comments by supervising prosecutor Gary Hearnsberger. Beth Silverman and Tannaz Mokayef have accused Hearnsberger of showing distinct favoritism towards female co-workers who were willing to provide sexual favors in exchange for higher profile assignments and opportunities for career advancement. According to the lawsuit, the harassment began in 2011 and continued until legal action was taken.
Hearnsberg has yet to see the actual lawsuit but denies any inappropriate conduct on his part. In a statement issued this week, Hearnsberg stated that “it makes sense that it was filed on April Fools’ Day.” He goes on to say that “it’s very disappointing that lawyers who you would expect to be of the highest caliber (of) professional prosecutors would make such claims.” Hearnsberg concludes his statement by reiterating the fact that these allegations are “retaliation and completely untrue.”
As a result of the lawsuit, Hearnsberger has reassigned to the Public Integrity Division and the state issued a “right-to-sue” notice to both plaintiffs without taking any other disciplinary action. When contacted for a comment, the LA DA’s department did not return phone calls from NBC.
This unit famously handled cases including the trials of Conrad Murray in connection with the death of Michael Jackson and the murder trials of Phil Spector and Robert Blake. It is currently handling the murder case against real estate heir Robert Durst and the murder trial against former rap mogul Suge Knight.
The NYC sexual harassment attorneys at Derek Smith Law Group urge women to take a stand and report any and all incidents of workplace sexual harassment. If no disciplinary action is immediately taken, victims are encouraged to seek out legal guidance from a sexual harassment lawyer with experience in employment harassment. If you believe you have been the victim of inappropriate office conduct at the hands of supervisor in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, call the sexual harassment attorneys at our firm today to schedule a free consultation.
The New York City sexual harassment lawyers at the Derek Smith Law Group, PLLC handle a multitude of employment discrimination cases that involve sexual harassment in Manhattan and the greater New York City area. For further information, please feel free to call us at 800-807-2209 for a free consultation or click here to schedule a free consultation.
