Sexual harassment refers to any unwelcomed comments or actions that are sexual in nature. It can manifest in the form of an inappropriate remark regarding someone’s appearance or in the form of an ongoing hostile attack. Our featured sexual harassment lawyers in Oklahoma are here to protect your rights if you have been the victim of sexual harassment.
We know this is a difficult time for you and it can be hard to come forward with the truth. However, the longer you wait, the harder it will be to provide evidence and the greater the chance that the assailant will strike again. With a paralegal on your side, you can help prevent a similar incident from happening again and to someone else.
Contact one of our elite sexual harassment attorneys near you to protect your rights and defend your workplace against unwanted sexual advances and attacks.
Sexual harassment is a form of sexual discrimination that occurs at the workplace. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines sexual harassment as any “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.”
Sexual harassment incidents can be as mild as a general lewd joke or as serious as a violent attack or rape. However, all sexual harassment incidents have one thing in common: they are unwanted and unwelcome. The following are examples of common sexual harassment behaviors at a workplace:
• Jokes or comments about a person’s appearance, body, or sexual life • General sexual comments • Explicit letters or emails • Putting up pictures or screen savers that are sexual in nature • Quid pro quo (this for that) sexual requests • Blocking someone’s path • Unwanted physical contact (i.e. kissing, hugging or groping) • Repeatedly asking someone out on a date after having turned the person down • Making obscene gestures or facial expressions • Stalking • Physical assault or rape
Anyone can be the victim of sexual harassment, although the majority of targets are women. Victims can be of any gender, race, age, religious background, or sexual orientation and don’t even need to be directly affected by an offender’s actions in order to seek disciplinary action against the perpetrator. Anyone who finds another person’s actions or comments offensive or sexually inappropriate may file a formal complaint.
There are strict laws against sexual harassment in Oklahoma. Victims of sexual harassment have a right to seek legal action against the perpetrator if the harasser does not cease their unwanted conduct. Before a victim can file a formal complaint, they should tell the harasser that their actions or comments are unwelcome and that they should stop immediately. If the harasser does not cease their behavior, then the matter can be escalated to a supervisor. If situation still has not been remedied, the victim may choose to take legal action.
Employers in Oklahoma are also required to investigate any sexual harassment claims thoroughly and keep matters as private as possible. Employers must also comply with any outside investigations and answer any and all questions honestly. Those who fail to comply may be subject to disciplinary action.
Many times, victims of sexual harassment are afraid to come forward because they fear they may lose their job or that the offender will retaliate against them. However, it is illegal for someone to fire an employee, demote them, or affect their job in any negative way in Oklahoma as retaliation against a sexual harassment claim. If you or someone you know has been the target of sexual harassment, contact a leading sexual harassment lawyer in Oklahoma immediately for legal assistance.
You have a legal right in Oklahoma to work in a place that is free from hostility and discrimination. As a victim of sexual harassment, you may be eligible to receive thousands of dollars in compensation for your pain and suffering, and your sexual harassment attorney will see to it that you obtain your rightful benefits. Trust in your paralegal to make sure your rights are upheld.
With an acclaimed team of Oklahoma sexual harassment lawyers working on your case, you can rest assured that the perpetrator will be stopped and brought to justice. Your paralegal will ensure that harassment stops and never happens to you or another person again. Sexual harassment attorneys make it their mission to stop perpetrators and make sure that the workplace is free of hostility and aggression.
Don’t be afraid to come forward with the truth if you or someone you know has been hurt by a sexual offender. More likely than not, a harasser will continue their behavior or increase the intensity of their actions if they aren’t stopped. The sooner you come forward, the faster the offender will be disciplined and the faster you will seek justice. Speak to a sexual harassment lawyer in Oklahoma today to discuss your options and file a claim.
