Experienced New Jersey Attorneys Assist Sexual Harassment Victims

Skilled litigators pursue maximum compensation for clients in NJ

Sexual harassment in the workplace isn’t just demeaning — it’s against the law. This type of misconduct directly assaults a person’s dignity in a number of ways.  Employees may be pressured into performing sexual acts against their will or be punished for refusing to submit to sexual advances.  Acts motivated by gender or sex also may create unwanted and offensive attention, embarrass employees, make it difficult to work, or make the workplace intolerable. At Deutsch Atkins, P.C. in Hackensack, we aggressively pursue relief for employees subjected to this kind of mistreatment and work tirelessly to hold the wrongdoers accountable. As one of New Jersey’s largest plaintiffs’ employment law firms, our sexual harassment attorneys have the knowledge and resources to take on powerful interests and obtain substantial compensation at trial and through settlements for our clients.

Accomplished employment firm litigates all types of sexual harassment cases

Though our lawyers have successfully litigated claims for numerous senior managers, executives and corporate officers, we represent employees at all levels. Throughout New Jersey, our firm handles these specific types of claims in sexual harassment suits:

• Quid pro quo — In quid pro quo cases, we represent employees who have been coerced into satisfying a supervisor’s sexual demands, punished for rejecting advances, or punished for refusing to continue a consensual relationship. This type of sexual harassment can include the threats of negative job actions or offers of extra benefits in exchange for sexual conduct.
• Hostile work environment — Offensive conduct of a sexual nature or motivated by gender that creates a hostile work environment that infringes upon an employee’s ability to do their job in peace. Whether the mistreatment is from a co-worker or a supervisor and it involves language, pictures, gestures, touching or other types of offensive misbehavior, we will seek appropriate relief through administrative proceedings and in court.
• Retaliation — Your employer cannot punish you for objecting to or complaining about sexual harassment, even if you complain verbally to an agent of the employer. If you are fired, suspended, demoted, denied a raise that you have earned, harassed, or suffered any other type of adverse job action in retaliation to objecting to or complaining of discrimination,  our discrimination lawyers can help you seek justice.

Our attorneys are determined to recover the full measure of damages you’ve suffered due to your employer’s unlawful conduct.

Steps to take when experiencing sexual harassment

Sexual harassment claims require proof.  While your word against another person’s can establish a claim, documented proof corroborates allegations.  If you’re being subjected to sexual harassment at work, you need to take reasonable steps to create a paper trail that will bolster your case. Make sure you:

• Voice your discontent by telling the harasser(s) to stop the unwelcome treatment.
• Report the incident to your manager, HR department and the harasser’s manager(s).
• Create a journal contemporaneously documenting events.
• Follow up verbal statements with written correspondence, such as email.
• Don’t simply complain of “harassment” or mistreatment, which is not per se illegal, but specify that it is sexual harassment, which is illegal.

If these actions do not end the harassment, or if the harassment escalates, contact Deutsch Atkins immediately. We can assist you by offering guidance to help end the conduct or to best enable you to protect your civil rights afforded by state and federal anti-discrimination laws.

Remedies and damages for sexual harassment in New Jersey

The action you may pursue often depends upon the location of your employer, and it might be more beneficial to pursue these claims under certain state laws rather than federal laws.  A variety of remedies are available to victims of sexual harassment, such as economic damages, emotional distress damages, and if appropriate, punitive damages. Under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, there are no statutory limits on damage amounts that a plaintiff can recover in such a case.

Contact a dedicated New Jersey attorney for help with your sexual harassment case

Deutsch Atkins, P.C. represents New Jersey plaintiffs in sexual harassment cases and other employment matters. Please call 551.245.8894 or contact us online to schedule a meeting at our Hackensack office, located across the street from the Bergen County Courthouse.