Unfortunately, sexual harassment occurs in the workplace, and there seems to be no end in sight. While the total number of sexual harassment claims filed in 2011 was the lowest it’s ever been, there were still 11,364 cases filed. If you factor in the countless number of incidents that weren’t reported, it becomes clear that sexual harassment is still a large factor in the work environment. An example of a successful sexual harassment claim comes from Tallahassee, Florida, where a former employee of the Department of Children and Families has successfully proved that she was sexually harassed.
Christina Ferris, a 37 year old Tallahassee native, first joined the Department of Children and Families in September of 2011. Having been hired as the assistant manager for program development, she didn’t last long at the job, resigning on January 19th, just a few months later. However, according to Ferris, the company forced her resignation after she reported that her supervisor, Jamie Self, had made inappropriate advances. Self, too, had only been at the company for a short while, having come aboard in March 2011 and resigning only 2 days prior to Ms. Ferris. According to Self, the reason for his resignation was, “personal and family concerns.”
According to Ms. Ferris, the inappropriate advances consisted of Mr. Self coercing Ms. Ferris into an affair, an affair which she believed was a term of employment. While Ms. Ferris doesn’t detail the extent of their relationship, she claims that Self continued to send her sexually charged texts and calls. Eventually, higher ranking officials found out about the relationship between supervisor and employee and asked them both to resign.
Considering the lack of concrete evidence, and the fact that the case boiled down to Ms. Ferris’ word against Mr. Self’s, the Department of Children and Families decided to enter mediation and agreed with Ms. Ferris upon a settlement of $150,000. Additional terms of the settlement dictated that Ms. Ferris could not provide public commentary on the case and that she could not pursue the case with the EEOC, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
If you find that you’ve been a victim of sexual harassment, it’s important to call a sexual harassment lawyer in Los Angeles. A proper lawyer will be able to gauge the details of the case and assist you in the collection of evidence. Even before contacting a sexual harassment lawyer in Los Angeles, you may want to check to see the internal procedures that your company has to sort out such cases. However, if this procedure fails don’t hesitate to contact a sexual harassment lawyer in Los Angeles. The lawyers at Diefer Law Group are capable and experienced in handling sexual harassment cases. Contact them today to see how they can help!