California Democratic Chair Accused of Sexual Harassment

The California Democratic Party faces additional accusations of sexual harassment and discrimination. This comes in the wake of former Chairman, Eric Bauman, stepping down after allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

The new lawsuit, which was filed by three current and former employees for the Democratic Party, states that it was not simply Bauman who was at fault. The lawsuit describes a culture of drinking and sexual harassment and accuses top officials of mishandling complaints and allowing the behavior to continue.

The lawsuit also states that workers faced retaliation for making complaints about the harassment as well. The victims of this lawsuit are seeking damages including lost wages and punitive damages. This lawsuit describes behavior that was persistent through the midterm elections in 2018.

This type of behavior in the workplace is the type of behavior that has unfortunately been allowed for too long. The #metoo movement has brought attention to it in hopes of changing the culture as a whole, but this lawsuit demonstrates that there are employers who still seem to think that the behavior is fine. This means that there are and unfortunately will be many more victims of sexual harassment in the workplace.

To help the victims who suffer damages as a result and to hold the perpetrators of this behavior accountable, the employers may be required to compensate the victims. This can include compensation for any lost income they suffered as well as damages for emotional distress and punitive damages designed to simply punish the employers for their illegal behavior.

There are many employers in California. While many have taken the appropriate steps to end the culture of sexual harassment, there are many others who still have work to do. The victims of this harassment may be entitled to compensation though and it is important that they receive what they deserve. Employers will try to fight these allegations though and consulting with an experienced attorney could be helpful.