By GetLegal.com

A former Nashville schools Payroll Coordinator was awarded about $1.5 million dollars by a Federal jury on Monday, January 25, 2010 based on a claim that she was wrongfully terminated in 2003 when she cooperated in a sexual harassment investigation of a school official.  The former employee, Vicky Crawford, who worked for the district for thirty years, sought lost wages, future wages and pension benefits.

Court documents indicate that Crawford told investigators that a co-worker would ask to see her breasts, grab his crotch saying, ”You know what’s up,” and on one occasion even pulled her head to his crotch.  Human resources officer Veronica Frazier asked Crawford to cooperate in an investigation and assured her that she would be protected from retaliation.  However, Frazier testified that no action was taken against the co-worker because there were no witnesses to his behavior.  Attorneys for the city claimed that Crawford was once a good employee, but was fired for poor job performance since her work had become subpar.  Crawford has been unable to get a job since 2003, has lost her house, car, and her professional reputation since an article in The Tennessean quoted Metro officials stating that she might have embezzled from the district’s payroll department.  New York Times Article

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act is the main federal law that protects employees from discrimination based on sex and sexual harassment.  States and cities may also have their own statutes that prevent sexual harassment provided they do not conflict with the federal law.

Sexual harassment can occur in one of two ways:
I.    Quid pro quo harassment which can constitute a one-time occurrence or involve repeated behavior requiring a person to tolerate some form of sexual harassment in order to get a job, keep a job, get a raise or promotion, or to receive some other benefit. This harassment can come from a prospective employer, a current employer, a manager or supervisor, or a co-worker. The sex and sexual orientation of your harasser does not matter.
II.    Hostile work environment which involves repeated behavior that is abusive or offensive, or that interferes or alters the victims’ ability to perform their job.

Employers that foster or allow these conditions to continue can be found liable for the conduct of the offending employees. Please see http://www.lmblaw.com/new-york/sexual-harassment.php for more information.

The lawyers at Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. strive to secure successful judgments for their clients, including any former employees or recently fired workers who have been sexually harassed in the workplace.  If you or someone you know has been faced with sexual discrimination or sexual harassment, please contact the offices of Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC, 1-888-5-JOBLAW, One Old Country Road, Suite 347, Carle Place, NY, 11514-1851.