Oklahoma sexual harassment lawyers can help sex-based discrimination victims

Sexual discrimination of any kind, including sexual harassment, is illegal in the United States, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In Oklahoma, there’s also the Anti-Discrimination Act that prohibits employment discrimination based on sex. Yet, sexual harassment is still rampant in the workplace and the only way to put an end to it is to stand up against your tormentors. Not alone. There’s no need to go alone when all you have to do is look up a good lawyer with plenty of experience in this area.

Seeking legal advice is important first of all to understand if you do have a case. You need to establish that the situation you’re faced with would be offensive to a reasonable person, if you want to stay within the law. 

When you reach out to sexual harassment lawyers they’ll ask very specific questions about the incidents that upset you. For instance, if a coworker asks you out on a date, that’s not sexual harassment. Not when he does it for the first time, at least. If you say no and make it clear that you’re not interested but they keep asking you out, then, yes, that is sexual harassment.

At the same time, experienced employment lawyers will want to know how you reacted to the sexual comments, jokes, messages, etc. Some victims try to laugh it off or go along with the joke, hoping they’ll be let alone. This approach might work with schoolyard bullies – ignore them and they’ll leave you alone. With sexual harassment, that’s rarely the case. Moreover, your harasser might use this against you later on. If you don’t object and don’t tell them they’re being offensive, they might claim that you enjoyed their behavior. Or even encouraged it!

Seasoned Oklahoma sexual harassment lawyers will most certainly advise you to say something to your harasser. Firmly, but politely! Remember that it’s in your best interest to stay civil and within the law, no matter how angry you are.

The next step is to complain to your employer about the hostile environment and ask them to intervene. You don’t actually have to ask them that, they’re required to do that. In some cases, this helps, but there’s no guarantee. In many cases, those who engage in sexual harassment do so knowing that the boss won’t make a big deal out of it. They might even encourage such behavior. 

When your employer has been made aware of the situation, but they choose to ignore your complaint or threaten you with retaliation, your attorney will help you file a formal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The federal commission will look into your case and they might initiate negotiations between you and your employer. They can even sue on your behalf, or they might issue a ‘right to sue’ letter, which means that it’s up to you to proceed with a lawsuit. Your attorney will do the rest!