Farhi’s Sexual Harassment Success Story

She was assigned a new supervisor who soon began giving her unwanted attention. What started as simple compliments about her clothing became something more ominous, then horrible. Her daily routine began to include comments about her physical appearance, which became crude sexual comments, which became inappropriate and gross physical contact and requests for nude photos. Like many women in the workplace, she was reluctant to report the harassment for fear that it would be ignored and she would face retaliation.

“Quid Pro Quo” sexual harassment happens when a supervisor requires sexual favors in return for job related benefits.

“unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute [quid pro quo] sexual harassment when submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment [or] when submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions.”

Also, a hostile work environment is created when a person:

“… alleges discriminatory conduct that a reasonable person in the plaintiff’s position would consider sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of employment and to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment….”

A claim of sexual harassment under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination entitles a prevailing plaintiff to a wide range of potential damages. Damages can include back pay and lost benefits, front pay and future benefits, emotional distress damages, reinstatement and punitive damages,

We sued, went to mediation and got a settlement with the client getting significant compensation.