Former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway and three other employees at his Manhattan Beach Toyota dealership were recently sued for discrimination, harassment, and maintaining a hostile work environment. The suit alleges that Timothy Sandquist, an employee at the dealership, was paid less than his white peers and passed over for raises and promotions. He also claims he was forced to work in a hostile environment because of “rampant harassment and racial slurs.” A lawyer for the dealership denies the allegations.
A hostile workplace environment happens when unwelcome comments or behavior occurs based on someone’s race, sex, or other legally protected characteristics. This behavior must interfere with an employee’s performance or create an intimidating or offensive work environment. Anyone in the workplace can commit this type of harassment. The harassment can be sexual or non-sexual in nature.
Some examples of actions that can cause a hostile work environment include:
In order to be considered a hostile work environment/harassment, the employee must be a member of a protected class, subjected to unwelcome verbal or physical conduct related to his or her membership in that class, and that unwelcome conduct affected his or her job performance by creating an intimidating or offensive work environment.
To determine whether you have a possible legal claim for hostile work environment, come to our law firm today. With offices in Bergen County, New Jersey and Rockland County, New York, we serve clients throughout Northern New Jersey and the New York City metropolitan area.