If you have been subjected to crude jokes, uninvited physical contact, suggestive comments, or catcalls in the workplace or in an educational setting, it is vital that you consult with sexual harassment attorneys in Worcester, MA, as soon as possible. One of the reasons that you will want experienced and compassionate sexual harassment attorneys at your side is the tendency for others to try to blame the victim for any sexual harassment that may have occurred. Your attorneys will work to uphold your rights and ensure that the responsibility for any harassment that has occurred is directed towards those who should be held accountable rather than towards you as the victim.
An example of how pervasive the “blame the victim” mentality regarding sexual harassment can be occurred recently in a middle school where a young girl was being subjected to relentless sexual comments from other classmates. When the 13-year-old girl’s mother tried to work with administration on ways to stop the sexual harassment, she was told that the teasing would never stop because of the size of the girl’s breasts. The administration went on to suggest that perhaps the young lady should consider breast reduction surgery if she wanted the ugly comments to cease.
The implication behind the administration’s attitude and comments was clear: the sexual harassment is the girl’s fault and if she would do something about her large breast size, the harassment would stop. Sadly, the administration’s response further intimates that those who were doing the harassing were somehow justified in their inappropriate behavior because of the appearance of the girl in question.
Sadly, such an attitude is all too prevalent in the workforce and educational institutions, despite the fact that there are laws prohibiting sexual harassment in such environments. That is why if you have been the victim of such harassment, it is essential that you have the assistance of experienced and knowledgeable sexual harassment attorneys who can help you in your efforts to obtain whatever damages you may be due as a result of the harassment to which you have been exposed. Whether you are seeking to recover damages for emotional distress, back pay for a wrongful termination, or punitive damages, your attorneys will assiduously pursue every available avenue of remuneration for which you may be eligible.
Regardless of what your body looked like, what fragrance you were wearing, or what clothes you had on at the time of the sexual harassment, you are not to blame. Consult with your attorneys in the Worcester, MA, area to get the help you need to pursue any compensation to which you may be entitled. Your attorneys will work to try to ensure that those responsible for the damage done to you are held accountable.
The Law Office of Michael O. Shea, P.C. may be able to help you in your efforts to recover damages for sexual harassment. They have been representing the victims for over 20 years.