No matter what form it takes, sexual harassment is unacceptable in the workplace. The harasser may act as though the harassment is an innocent joke, or as if the harassment is somehow a compliment. In other cases, harassment can take the form of inappropriate cartoons or drawings. If you have suffered any kind of sexual harassment — whether it’s quid pro quo or a hostile work environment — then know that you are not alone and the law is on your side.
With these issues in mind, New Yorkers may be interested in a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by two Vermont women. Both women worked as administrative assistants for FireCo LLC, which is a company that raises funds for the Professional Firefighters of Vermont. In their lawsuit, both women say they suffered egregious sexual harassment in the workplace, and both women were fired after they complained.
The defendants named in the lawsuit include FireCo, a staffing company that contracted with FireCo, and two co-workers, both of whom are male. One of the co-workers was the manager of the male-dominated office where the women worked.
Evidence of sexual harassment was gathered by one of the women before she was fired. The evidence reportedly includes lewd cartoons and word games, as well as a text message from the office manager. Multiple instances of verbal sexual harassment are also described in the lawsuit, which you can read more about in an article in the Burlington Free Press.
To learn more about stopping workplace harassment in New York and holding harassers accountable, please explore the employment law website of Serrins Fisher LLP.