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Settlement reached in sexual harassment, retaliation case

On Behalf of | Jan 8, 2019 | Retaliation

When wrongdoing occurs, especially in the workplace, New York residents often want to have a way to report the wrongdoing and have it addressed. While many places of employment have such procedures, complaints are not always handled as they should be. In fact, some workers could face retaliation for making claims of sexual harassment or other undesirable actions.

It was recently reported that a lawsuit involving four current and former employees of an out-of-state museum has come to a settlement. The situation began when the workers — who are all women — made claims of sexual harassment and assault against a co-worker. However, after making their claims, the women felt the museum staff did not appropriately handle the situation, and the women stated that they had to contend with intimidation, threats against their jobs and other hostility after making it known that they were displeased with the way supervisors handled the claims.

The women took legal action to address the retaliation, and the lawsuit recently reached a settlement that included policy changes and new training requirements. It was not mentioned whether the affected women would receive any type of monetary compensation as part of the settlement. The museum also made a statement indicating that the response to the harassment and assault claims was inadequate.

Though sexual harassment complaints should be handled properly in the first place, that is unfortunately not always what happens. If New York workers have their claims brushed off or faced retaliation for their complaints, they may have reason to take legal action. Information on their legal rights and available options may help negatively affected workers determine their best courses of action.