Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Have you been sexually harassed or discriminated against in the workplace? If so, do you have questions about what protections you are entitled to or how to file a complaint? Attorney Meenoo Chahbazi has extensive experience representing victims of sexual harassment. She previously served as a Trial Attorney for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission where she frequently litigated sexual harassment cases, including class action sexual harassment cases, and she has also litigated multiple individual sexual harassment cases as a private attorney.
Click to read article about Unlawful and Discriminatory Harassment authored by Ms. Chahbazi
In Arizona, the sexual harassment must be severe or pervasive to be unlawful. In other words, it must alter the conditions of your employment and create an abusive work environment. A single act of sexual harassment may be sufficiently severe to be unlawful. Individuals of any gender can be the target of sexual harassment. Additionally, sexual harassment may involve harassment of a person of the same gender as the harasser, regardless of either person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Examples of acts sexual harassment may include:
- Unwanted sexual advances
- Physical touching or assault
- Graphic sexual comments
- Sexually degrading language
- Sexual jokes
- Derogatory sexual name-calling
- Offering a job, promotion, or other work benefit in exchange for sexual favors
- Displaying sexually suggestive objects, pictures, cartoons, or posters
- Repeated, unwanted invitations to go out on dates
Retaliation for rejecting sexual advances or reporting sexual harassment is also unlawful.