New York Entertainment Industry Sexual Harassment Attorney
recovered for our employment law cases
- New York entertainment workers may experience sexual harassment from colleagues, bosses, or even members of the public.
- Quid pro quo sexual harassment, or an offer to provide special treatment in exchange for sexual favors, is common in cases involving the entertainment industry.
- New York state and city laws provide stronger protections for sexual harassment than federal law, including for entertainment industry workers.
- Though retaliation for reporting sexual harassment is illegal in New York, many entertainment industry workers still fear that coming forward will harm their careers.
- A skilled New York employment law attorney with Joseph & Norinsberg can help you hold powerful abusers accountable for sexual harassment in the entertainment industry.
The #MeToo movement exposed a long-time problem with sexual harassment in the entertainment industry, but increased awareness has not ended or prevented future abuses. New York is a significant hub for entertainment, and despite strong state and local protections for workers, sexual harassment persists far too frequently.
If you are experiencing sexual harassment, you are not alone. You don’t have to suffer in silence. The trusted New York entertainment industry sexual harassment lawyers with Joseph & Norinsberg can help you fight back and get the justice you deserve.
Table of Contents
- What Behaviors Count As Sexual Harassment in the Entertainment Industry?
- What Rights Do Entertainment Workers Have Against Sexual Harassment in New York?
- What Damages Can You Get Compensation for in a New York Entertainment Industry Sexual Harassment Case?
- What Challenges Do Entertainment Industry Victims of Sexual Harassment Face?
- Why Should You Work With Our Entertainment Industry Sexual Harassment Lawyers?
- Contact Joseph & Norinsberg For Your New York Sexual Harassment Cases
What Behaviors Count As Sexual Harassment in the Entertainment Industry?
Sexual harassment in the workplace comes in many forms. Common examples of sexual harassment in the entertainment industry include the following:
- Quid pro quo: The desire for career growth and valuable opportunities often leaves workers vulnerable to quid pro quo sexual harassment. Quid pro quo harassment occurs when someone in a position of power offers a job-related benefit or threatens adverse action in exchange for sexual favors. A quid pro quo offer, whether implicit or explicit, often carries the threat of retaliation if the victim refuses.
- Hostile work environments: Entertainment work is often highly competitive, fast-paced, and characterized by a lack of job security. Whether a victim has a reliable job or tenous freelance or contract work, they may feel they have no choice but to tolerate poor working conditions and abusive behavior from colleagues to maintain their employment.
- Third-party harassment: Performers with public-facing roles may experience harassment from those outside of the workplace, such as fans and audience members.
Entertainment workers can also be at risk of sexual assault from coworkers, authority figures, supervisors, or even members of the public. Abuse at work may make you feel like you have nowhere to go, but a skilled sexual harassment lawyer can help you take your life back.
What Rights Do Entertainment Workers Have Against Sexual Harassment in New York?
The New York State Human Rights Law, or NYSHRL, and the NYC Human Rights Law, or NYCHRL, help protect entertainment workers by considering sexual harassment and assault to be illegal sex-based discrimination. They also ban employers from retaliating against workers for reporting sexual harassment or participating in a legal investigation.
Compared to similar federal protections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the New York human rights laws have a lower burden of proof for sexual harassment. Federal law generally requires harassment to be “severe or pervasive” to be illegal, while New York laws do not. Under the NYSHRL and the NYCHRL, harassment is actionable if it rises above a “petty slight or trivial inconvenience.”
What Damages Can You Get Compensation for in a New York Entertainment Industry Sexual Harassment Case?
In addition to employment remedies, victims of entertainment industry sexual harassment in New York can often recover monetary damages related to their experiences, including the following:
- Back pay, if you were wrongfully terminated or demoted
- Lost wages or future earnings
- Emotional distress and related medical expenses
- Pain and suffering, if the harassment involved a physical assault or injury
What Challenges Do Entertainment Industry Victims of Sexual Harassment Face?
Retaliation may be illegal, but many victims of sexual harassment in the entertainment industry have valid fears that reporting their experiences will negatively impact their careers. One might endure sexual harassment and stay silent rather than risk future opportunities by being perceived as “difficult to work with,” especially if the perpetrator holds significant influence in their field. Proving harassment and retaliation can be difficult, especially if the repercussions are subtle.
The sheer prevalence of sexual harassment in the entertainment industry can convince a victim that reporting an incident is fighting an uphill, hopeless battle. However, with the right lawyer on your side, you can hold powerful harassers accountable and get justice.
Why Should You Work With Our Entertainment Industry Sexual Harassment Lawyers?
The trusted employment law team at Joseph & Norinsberg has deep experience in all manner of sexual harassment cases, including those in New York’s entertainment industry. Our attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience fighting for and winning on behalf of workers like you.
Our lawyers can help you collect evidence to build a strong and effective case, including working with witnesses to corroborate your claims. We can also help you navigate and respond to threats of retaliation throughout the legal process, ensuring your rights are protected as we work relentlessly to fight for the justice you deserve.
$750, 000
Case Result
Client was sexually harassed by her boss, and physically assaulted when she denied his advances. We were able to secure compensation for several years of lost wages, and emotional distress, and compensation for the physical assault.
$175,000
SETTLEMENT
Client was sexually harassed by her immediate supervisor. We were able to secure the client a substantial severance increase over her initial offer, and did so in only three short months after termination.
$1,350,000
SETTLEMENT
Settlement against an international luxury brand in the fashion industry.
Contact Joseph & Norinsberg For Your New York Sexual Harassment Cases
We’re passionate about advocating for the underdog. If you’re experiencing sexual harassment in the New York entertainment industry, no perpetrator is too powerful or influential for us to take on and win. When other firms are at the end of their rope, we tie a knot and keep fighting for you.
Contact us online or call 212-227-5700 today for a free consultation.
An extensive track record of success has resulted in Jon becoming one of the top civil rights litigators in New York City. A true trial lawyer, he is not intimidated by the intense challenges complex civil rights and constitutional law cases present.
- New York Age Discrimination Lawyer
- New York Disability Discrimination Lawyer
- New York Gender Discrimination Lawyer
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- New York Race Discrimination Lawyer
- New York LGBTQ Employment Discrimination Lawyer
- New York Weight Discrimination Lawyer
- New York Religious Discrimination Lawyer
Increased client’s severance for being discriminated against for their disability.
Defended 12 individuals facing discrimination and retaliation based on race and gender in the workplace.
Race discrimination case against a luxury brand in the fashion industry (confidential).