Sexual Harrassment

[slh030]

What is the name of your state? Texas

Can I hold my former employer liable for not following through with a sexual harrassment claim?

 

[cbg]

Please define what you mean by "not following through".

 

[HomeGuru]

What is the name of your state? Texas

Can I hold my former employer liable for not following through with a sexual harrassment claim?

**A: what is the complete story or do you want us to guess? Ok, I'll take a guess as to your story and my answer is NO.

 

[slh030]

My manager had me fill out a complaint form and told me that it would be forwarded to the corp. office and the my coworkers who harrassed me would have to attend classes for their behavior. That never happened. My employer was recently taken over by a new management company and even though I have been working there for two years they let me go two weeks ago saying that I was in their probationary period and they didn't have to give a reason for letting me go.

 

[cbg]

How do you know?

 

[slh030]

I spoke with my manager and asked her why nothing was ever done and her response was "I don't know what to tell you. I thought everything was okay and the harrassment had stopped." I told her you know the harrassment hadn't stopped because I complained to you and my supervisor numerous times since my complaint. She then responded with I don't know what else to tell you but we shouldn't talk about this anymore. By the way this harrassment went on for almost the entire two years I worked there.
Also, A short time after I filed my complaint I caught my supervisor checking a recorder that he had hidden in his office. He had been recording us for quite a long time. When I asked him why he had done this he said "I can record you and everyone in this shop whenever I want to." I complained to my manager about this and she said that the company would never condone recording people without their permission but they wouldn't take responsibility for something they didn't know anything about.

 

[Katy W.]

Your employer may or may not be able to record you depending on your state laws.

Has the harrassment stopped? If not, you need to go to the EEOC. If it has, then the company's action has been effective. Document everything, but if the harassment has stopped, the company's duty is fulfilled, whether or not the perpetrator went to classes.

 

[cbg]

And if the harassment has not stopped, how did you expect them to know that if you did not tell them?

 

[slh030]

I did notify my supervisor and manager and my supervisor told me that I shouldn't do anything else to pursue the issue because it would make my work enviroment worse.
Also, the harrassment went on until the day they let me go without reason.

 

[cbg]

Okay, now you have FINALLY given us enough information to answer your initial question.

In the circumstances you describe, yes, I think you probably can hold them accountable, assuming that the last instance of harassment was less than 180 days ago. (if it's more than 180 days ago, you're most likely SOL.) But you will have to do it by filing a complaint with the EEOC and/or your state discrimination board - you cannot go straight to a lawsuit.