Everyone knows that losing a job can have financial implications. However, when a person loses his or her job due to harassment or discrimination, the victim can experience significant psychological and emotional trauma. Fortunately, laws are in place in California to protect workers from harassment and discrimination in the workplace. Any worker has the option to take legal action when he or she loses employment as a result of harassment or discrimination.
A woman in another state filed a lawsuit over allegations that she was harassed at work and eventually terminated. The woman was a 12-year deputy for a sheriff’s office in another state. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff experienced several instances of harassment from multiple co-workers. She claimed that the sheriff excused the misbehavior and created a culture of discriminating against females in the workplace. The lawsuit claimed that the woman became afraid to speak up about the alleged harassment due to fear of retaliation.
Allegedly, the plaintiff was eventually placed on administrative leave by the sheriff and fired only five days later. The sheriff never gave her reasons for placing her on leave, the woman said. The lawsuit stated that the plaintiff had never been reprimanded before this incident and was the highest-ranking female at the time of her termination.
Discrimination in any form is wrong but, unfortunately, it still happens. In California, laws strictly prohibit harassment and discrimination in the workplace. Any individual in California who feels he or she has been harassed or discriminated against at work may have grounds to take legal action. A successfully litigated lawsuit could result in monetary damages as well as a sense of justice.