Atlanta Sexual Harassment Lawyers

Beal Sutherland Berlin & Brown Has Recovered Millions of Dollars for Victims of Sexual Harassment

Beal Sutherland Berlin & Brown attorneys have recovered millions for sexual harassment victims in Georgia. In November 2021, Rachel Berlin Benjamin negotiated a $1 million dollar settlement for three women who accused the former Jesup Police Chief of egregious sexual harassment and assault. She has also negotiated dozens of six figure and seven figure confidential settlements for sexual harassment victims in Georgia.

Relentless Advocacy for Victims of Workplace Sexual Misconduct

No one should have to tolerate sexually charged comments, inappropriate touching, or suggestions of a sexual favor for professional advancement. Yet, so many people—especially women—in the workplace experience this illegal treatment. When you’ve experienced sexual misconduct at work, it’s your right to take action and hold the responsible parties accountable for their behavior.

Beal, Sutherland, Berlin & Brown can provide the legal support you require to demand compensation for sexual harassment at work. Your employer is responsible for providing a safe work environment free from discrimination, and you can hold it accountable for failing to protect you. Our sexual harassment attorneys are here to help you file your claim and fight for justice.

To request a consultation with a skilled sexual harassment attorney in Atlanta who can help, call (404) 476-5305 now.

What Is Sexual Harassment?

Title VII affords employees the right to work in an environment free from sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is any unwanted or unwelcome sexual behavior that is committed without consent and creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment. This can include physical touching, comments, gestures, or advances of a sexual nature. It can also include offers of a professional benefit such as a raise or promotion in exchange for a sexual favor (quid pro quo sexual harassment).

Sexual harassment is considered a form of discrimination and is illegal under a federal law called Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which applies to employers with at least 15 employees. Title VII affords employees the right to work in an environment free from sexual harassment.

The EEOC’s guidelines state that “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when . . . submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment, . . . or such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.”

Identifying Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Because sexual harassment can assume so many forms, it can be difficult to assess whether or not you’ve experienced such treatment.

Here are some examples of sexual harassment in the workplace:

A coworker has sexually assaulted you in any way.
A coworker has inappropriately touched you or habitually invades your personal space.
A coworker makes inappropriate comments about your appearance, including your body and/or clothing.
A coworker refuses to stop asking you out on a date or for a sexual favor.
A coworker inquires about your sexual orientation, sexual history, or spreads rumors about such attributes.
A coworker makes sex-related jokes that deride your sex, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity.
Your employer tolerates or encourages displays of sexually suggestive or derisive content in the workplace (calendars, magazines, posters, figurines, comic clippings, etc.).
Your employer’s policies, whether official or not, tolerate or encourage behavior that constitutes sexual harassment.

Because sexual harassment can manifest in many different ways, you may wish to consult with one of our sexual harassment attorneys in Atlanta. We at Beal, Sutherland, Berlin & Brown can offer insight that can help you assess the legal viability of your claim.

Contact an Atlanta Sexual Harassment Lawyer

The attorneys at Beal, Sutherland, Berlin & Brown have many years of combined experience in litigation and negotiation for sexual harassment claims. We are here to fight for your rights and dignity.

If you need legal advice or representation relating to sexual harassment, contact Beal Sutherland Berlin & Brown online or call (404) 476-5305 for a consultation.

How Do I Prove Sexual Harassment?

Our experienced sexual harassment lawyers in Atlanta can provide the aggressive representation you require to prevail.

Rachel Berlin-Benjamin

Here are some of the basic elements needed to prove a sexual harassment claim:

You belong to a protected group.
A coworker or supervisor subjected you to unwelcome sexual behavior.
You felt harassed by the behavior.
The harassment was severe or pervasive enough to affect your working conditions.
Your employer knew or should have known about the harassment.
Your employer failed to act in a manner that would cease the sexual harassment or prevent it from occurring again.

You can strengthen your claim by proving that you reported the sexual harassment to your employer, who failed to take any meaningful action to investigate your claim. Your chances of success can be further augmented if you can prove that you would not have been sexually harassed had you been a different sex.

Factors such as the frequency, severity, humiliation, threat, and job interference are important for proving the severity or pervasiveness of sexual harassment. Additionally, the employer may be liable if the harasser was a supervisor or if they failed to act after a report was made. The employer may also be liable if they ratified the harassment or were negligent in hiring, retaining, or supervising the harasser.

Oftentimes, when an employee is physically touched or sexually harassed at work, he or she may also have tort claims against the harasser and the employer, including claims for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

What Can I Recover with a Sexual Harassment Lawsuit?

When you file a claim for sexual harassment in Georgia, you can seek compensation for a variety of damages.

If the harassment caused you to miss work or otherwise impacted your pay or compensation package, you can fight to recover the money you would have or should have earned. Likewise, juries are inclined to award compensatory damages for pain, suffering, and emotional distress in sexual harassment cases. Punitive damages can also be recovered.

Additionally, survivors of sexual harassment in Georgia can seek compensation under assault and battery or intentional infliction of emotional distress torts.

Atlanta Sexual Harassment Attorneys

The attorneys at Beal, Sutherland, Berlin & Brown have the expertise in litigating and negotiating sexual harassment cases. If you need advice or representation relating to sexual harassment, contact us today for a free consultation.

Put a dynamic Atlanta employment Attorney on your side by calling our office at (404) 476-5305or filling out our online contact form today.

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