Westport Sexual Harassment Lawyer
Various state- and federal-level laws protect residents from harassment, discrimination, or retaliation in the workplace based on their sex or gender identity. However, the question of what legally qualifies as sexual harassment for the purposes of civil litigation or, under rare circumstances, criminal prosecution does not have a perfectly objective answer, primarily because the Connecticut Penal Code does not specifically define sexual harassment as a criminal offense.
Unfortunately, this means sexual harassment cases can be challenging both to pursue as a plaintiff and to contest as a defendant, especially without a capable attorney’s support. By working with a Westport sexual harassment lawyer from Mark Sherman Law, you might be able to maximize your chances of securing a favorable case result and protecting your own best interests by doing so.
Can Sexual Harassment Lead to Criminal Charges?
Connecticut General Statutes § 46a-80(b)(8) is the specific section of state law that prohibits employers from engaging in harassment of employees or job applicants based on their sex, gender identity, or gender expression. That said, this definition is part of Chapter 814c of the Connecticut General Statutes, which addresses human rights and opportunities, and does not interact directly with the Connecticut Penal Code.
If the law treated sexual harassment as a criminal offense, it would most likely be as a violation of C.G.S. § 53a-183, which defines someone harassing, alarming, or terrorizing someone else for no legitimate purpose through electronic, telephone, or any other means of communication as Harassment in the Second Degree. Under certain circumstances, the law could categorize Harassment in the Second Degree predicated specifically on the targeted person’s sexual or gender identity as a hate crime, which could allow for enhanced penalties upon conviction. One of our knowledgeable Westport attorneys can explain these nuances in sexual misconduct charges in more detail.
Civil Liability for Gender-Based Harassment
It is much more common for allegations of sexual harassment to result in civil litigation as opposed to criminal prosecution, and generally, civil litigation is filed under state or United States federal employment laws. The law could then require someone found civilly liable for damaging another person’s career or causing them other forms of financial or psychological harm through sexual harassment to reimburse the impacted person financially for the consequences of that harm.
Civil cases of this nature have a less strict standard of proof than criminal cases, so someone pursuing a civil lawsuit over sexual harassment does not have to prove liability beyond a reasonable doubt to obtain a favorable ruling. This is one reason support from our seasoned Westport lawyers could be crucial to contesting this sort of gender-based harassment allegation as effectively as possible.
Call a Westport Sexual Harassment Attorney Today To Contest Charges
An accusation of sexually harassing someone else can do more than just damage your relationship with your coworkers. Depending on the circumstances, it may lead to substantial financial penalties in civil court or to litigation pursued against you by federal authorities, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In extreme cases, it may even end with you facing charges in criminal court.
No matter what led to this kind of allegation being made against you or what kind of legal issues you need to resolve as a result, guidance from a knowledgeable Westport sexual harassment lawyer could help you protect your rights and best interests to the fullest extent possible. Call Mark Sherman Law today to set up a meeting, or see what past clients have said about working with us by visiting our Avvo.com profile.