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Has your personal space been violated at work? Did someone touch or abuse you without your consent? One of the most traumatizing forms of sexual harassment is unwanted physical contact. Unwelcome touching can range from offensive shoulder patting to outright sexual assault.
The goal is generally the same: to make a person feel demoralized and intimidated. Sexual Harassers use these tactics to exert control over the target. Now it is your time to fight back.
If you have been the victim of unwanted physical contact at work, our attorneys can help you file an EEOC claim for sexual harassment or bring a sexual harassment lawsuit in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Florida state or federal courts.
To be considered illegal sexual harassment, offensive contact must be “unwelcome.” In other words, you did nothing to solicit or incite the behavior. You regard the behavior as undesirable or offensive. The best way to assert that the acts are unwelcome is to tell your sexual harasser to stop. Let him or her know you find the conduct offensive and unprofessional.
The law recognizes two forms of sexual harassment
1. Quid Pro Quo sexual harassment is where an Owner, Manager or supervisor requires or coerces a subordinate employee to take some sort of sexual action in exchange for an employment benefit or to avoid a demotion or firing.
2. The second form is called Hostile work environment sexual harassment involves any unwelcome sexual conduct that is severe or pervasive enough to alter the work environment.
Inappropriate touching involves hugs, touches and other gestures of a physical nature, but maybe not necessarily be of a sexual nature, these physical encounters tend to make an employee feel uncomfortable and is not deemed appropriate workplace conduct. Under some circumstances, you can be afraid to speak up for yourself.
You might be too intimidated to say ‘no.’ You may fear retaliation or further sexual harassment. The law is on the victim’s side — even if you did not explicitly say “no,” or tell the harasser to stop, you might still have a case for sexual harassment. As long as the behavior is unwanted, you may convince a court or the EEOC that you have a valid sexual harassment claim.
The sexual harassment lawyers at the Derek Smith Law Group will guide you every step of the way and inform you on whether the unwanted physical contact is a case for an EEOC claim, a state or federal lawsuit and if severe enough the unwanted physical contact may be a misdemeanor or a felony under the law of your state.
Discover how our expertise has helped clients overcome their legal challenges and achieve successful outcomes.
View All TestimonialsOlivia is the best! Oliva was very thorough, patient, and very detailed and descriptive regarding the process. She was very supportive of my sexual harassment case. From the very beginning, she communicated and would provide me with any updates and she was always available when I needed anything. More importantly, she always extended that comfort level of trust which always made me feel at peac... Read Full Testimonial
Casey Barkhordarian is a fabulous attorney to work with. He explained everything to me about the case (including the millions of questions I asked) right from the start of our very first meeting. He did so in a way that I could understand and was very prompt and clear with communication the entire time. Casey Barkhordarian is a very competent and knowledgeable lawyer to have on your team. I def... Read Full Testimonial
Matt Finkleberg is by far the best attorney I’ve ever hired! From the outset, it was evident that he was not just another lawyer; Matt is nothing short of extraordinary. He possesses the ability to do his job phenomenally while somehow managing to give me hope during one of my darkest of hours. Matt consistently returned my calls promptly, regardless of my questions, confusion, or self-doubt ... Read Full Testimonial
I cannot speak highly enough about my experience working with Matt Finkelberg. From the very beginning, Matt approached my case with an incredible level of professionalism, knowledge, and dedication that immediately put me at ease. It is rare to find an attorney who not only possesses an impressive depth of legal expertise but who also truly cares about the well-being and best interests of thei... Read Full Testimonial
Olivia is absolutely outstanding! She understands the emotional side of your case while being able to find the legal aspects of holding the employer accountable for breaking the law! Made a really terrible situation a little easier by explaining everything and helping me get everything in order and in the right hands. I would not use anyone else! Call them for any sexual harassment case... You ... Read Full Testimonial
This law firm is absolutely amazing!!! They went so above and beyond for me!!! I am so grateful for all their help with my difficult case!!! If you need a lawyer, you will be in great hands with their firm!!! And wait until you see the office! The building is so high tech I couldn't figure out how to get in the elevator lol!
It was a pleasure to have Casey represent and help me for my employment case. It was my first time needing an attorney, so I was a bit apprehensive at first – Casey took the time to answer all of my questions and fully explain everything to me, which really put me at ease. He was very attentive, supportive, and knowledgeable throughout the whole process – Casey would ask questions to ensure... Read Full Testimonial
matt is an excellent attorney. he handled my case with the utmost care and highly exceeded all expectations. i could not recommend derek smith and esp. matt finkelberg enough
matt is an excellent attorney. he handled my case with the utmost care and highly exceeded all expectations. i could not recommend derek smith and esp. matt finkelberg enough 🙂
Matt handled a suit against the City of LA and members of the a Neighborhood Council for racial discrimination and harassment. Ths was the first suit of this type filed on a Neighborhood Council Matt handled it with poise and above all professionalism. He walked me through the 3 year process and above all provided moral support and encouragement as I still experienced racism and harassment duri... Read Full Testimonial
Matt Finkelberg is Amazing and Devotional! It was a pleasure to have Matt represent me for my employment case. He was very attentive, supportive, and knowledgable throughout the whole process. Whenever I reached out he responded promptly which I greatly appreciated. Matt fought diligently and hard throughout my case to make sure my case was represented best. Thank you again Matt for everything.... Read Full Testimonial
It was a pleasure to have Casey represent and help me for my employment case. It was my first time needing an attorney, so I was a bit apprehensive at first – Casey took the time to answer all of my questions and fully explain everything to me, which really put me at ease. He was very attentive, supportive, and knowledgeable throughout the whole process – Casey would ask questions to ensure... Read Full Testimonial
Empower your voice and take action against sexual harassment in every workplace, community, and home.
A range of physical acts could constitute sexual harassment in the workplace. Some are simple yet inappropriate behaviors. Others are criminal sexual acts that could warrant criminal as well as civil charges. Speak to a sexual harassment attorney to have your rights as an employee explained to you and to see if you have a sexual harassment lawsuit or EEOC claim. Examples of physical harassment include:
Maybe you brushed it off as a one-time event, but then it didn’t stop. Or, it only happened once but the conduct was especially severe, such as rape. Either of those scenarios could be sexual harassment. Sometimes, harassment starts off seemingly innocent but then escalates into full-blown abuse.
A few specific examples of physical harassment are:
If you have been violated, promptly report the abuse to your supervisor and the Human Resources department. Familiarize yourself with company anti-harassment policies. Use that information to gain leverage in the situation. If your complaints are ignored or the harassment continues, speak with a sexual harassment attorney right away. Our top sexual harassment attorneys have handled many sexual harassment lawsuits as well as EEOC claims.
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