When there are accusations against an employer claiming there was a violation of employment law, it can be a difficult situation to be in. When those assertions coming from an employee or former employee reach the level of sexual harassment and outright sexual assault, it can have a negative impact with chain-reaction repercussions for everyone at the workplace. If the accusations are against a prominent person in the field of politics, careers and lives can be ruined. While much of the focus on these allegations will be on the victim, it is important to remember there are two sides to every story and the claims might not be accurate. Crafting a defense is critical.
A former staffer for a town supervisor has asserted that he was the victim of sexual harassment and eventually sexual assault. The accuser says the supervisor – who is a former assemblyman – mocked him and committed sexual harassment. Later, it grew worse. The men were sharing a hotel room because of budgetary concerns and the accuser says he woke up to find the other man in bed with him. He says sexual acts were performed against his will and when he was asleep. He left the hotel and went home. He also resigned.
However, no complaint was filed for nearly a year, nor did he go to law enforcement. According to the alleged victim, he refrained from reporting what happened because it was embarrassing. In his civil filing, he seeks to be given an apology, for the supervisor to admit what occurred, and that his former boss get professional help. The supervisor refused to answer questions about the incident. He later made a statement denying the staffer’s accusations and does not intend on resigning from his position.
Sexual harassment and assault claims can damage a person’s reputation and do significant harm to their life and career. With these cases, it is often a matter of one person’s word against another. Simply because the current atmosphere with people feeling less fear about reporting sexual harassment and other violations is bringing these types of incidents to light does not mean all accusations are true. The supervisor denies the charges and having a legal defense that understands employment law for employers is imperative to fight back in this case.
