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Sexual Harassment Retaliation

A Sexual Harassment Retaliation Employment Law Attorney at the Pursley Law Firm would be a competent source of assistance for you in filing a complaint against your employer and trying to recover financial damages you have experienced in retaliation for filing a sexual harassment complaint. The Pursley Law Firm has the aptitude to pursue claims for employees in the state of Texas, including the cities of Houston, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, El Paso, and San Antonio. An experienced Sexual Harassment Retaliation lawyer is ready to discuss the details of your case with you.

Both Title VII and the TCHRA prohibit retaliation against an employee complaining of discrimination or harassment based on sex or other grounds. Claims of retaliation often complicate the issues raised in sexual harassment litigation by requiring the plaintiff to prove additional facts to satisfy the elements of a retaliatory discharge claim. To state a retaliation claim, the employee must show that (i) he or she engaged in an activity protected by Title VII (or the TCHRA); (ii) an adverse employment action followed; and (iii) a causal connection exists between the activity and the adverse action. An adverse action by an employer must be a definitive employment decision, such as hiring, firing, promoting, granting leave, or compensating, basically it is a significant change in employment status. In an extreme example of an adverse action, a court decided that retaliating against a complainant by permitting her fellow employees to punish her would fall within the definition of an adverse employment action. In most retaliatory adverse employment actions, there is a direct economic harm caused to the complaint and one for which they can recover damages for in a court case.

While retaliation for sexual harassment is illegal, backlash is not. Often a complainant can face additional detrimental treatment from co-workers or even be shunned by them after filing a complaint and refusing to submit to sexual favors or demands. This is often more damaging to the complainant than the actual sexual harassment because they don’t anticipate such negative consequences from friends or co-workers. Most of those that have filed sexual harassment complaints have said that the backlash and retaliation was more stressful than the actual harassment. To make an unfortunate situation worse, the retaliation can be very difficult to prove in a case and the backlash from co-workers is not unlawful. If you have been retaliated against after filing a sexual harassment claim and have suffered financial damages as a result, then you should contact an employment attorney to help you protect your rights.

Do I Have A Sexual Harasment Retaliation Case in Texas?

Sexual Harassment Information Center