Often employees are unaware of their right to protect themselves against sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace. Even if an employee knows quite well that something wrong is going on at work, he or she may not speak up for fear of losing the job. In these cases, putting up with harassment or retaliation sometimes leads to physical symptoms that diminish the worker’s quality of life in and out of the workplace.
A woman who says she was subjected to sexual harassment at a New Jersey diner recently filed a lawsuit against the owners. She was eventually fired from her job, and she says the whole ordeal was so bad that she suffered stomach aches, weight loss and headaches.
The lawsuit claims that managers and employees at the Freeway Diner in Deptford took part in “egregious acts of sexual harassment.” According to the suit, the woman was subjected to inappropriate and degrading sexual comments, inappropriate propositions and unwanted touching.
She also claims that Styrofoam takeout boxes were scrawled with sketches of genitalia.
The restaurant owner, Scoura Diner Corp., was named as the defendant in the lawsuit, which seeks compensation for the woman’s emotional distress.
One may think that in 2013 cases of sexual harassment would be few and far between, but even a cursory glance at national news suggests otherwise. New Jersey workers who have been victimized by workplace harassment, retaliation or discrimination need to know that they have recourse to justice in civil court.
To learn more about stopping harassment and discrimination in the workplace, please visit our New Jersey employment law site.
Source: nj.com, “Deptford’s Freeway Diner named in sexual harassment lawsuit,” Carly Q. Romalino, July 21, 2013
