Workplace Sexual Harassment Protecting Rights. Pursuing Justice.

Sexual Harassment, Abuse & Assault Litigation in Irvine

Orange County Employees Deserve a Trial-Ready Legal Team

No one should be subjected to sexual harassment by anyone: supervisors, co-workers, customers, doctors, investors, landlords, clergy, or others in positions of authority or trust. If you’ve experienced it, you deserve a team willing to fight as hard as the situation demands.

Survivors and their loved ones carry trauma that extends far beyond the workplace. Jackson APC has genuine compassion for our survivor clients, and we pursue perpetrators and corporate enablers with equal force. If you’re looking for a sexual harassment attorney in Irvine or anywhere in Orange County, we’re ready to take your case as far as it needs to go.

If you have concerns about sexual harassment or assault, please contact our firm at (949) 828-3303 for a free consultation.

Types of Workplace Sexual Harassment Under California Law

California recognizes two primary forms of sexual harassment, and both can support a legal claim.

Quid Pro Quo Harassment

Quid pro quo harassment occurs when employment benefits, promotions, or continued employment are conditioned on submission to unwelcome sexual advances. No supervisor or person with authority over your work can link your job security or advancement to acceptance of sexual conduct. Retaliation for refusing those advances is separately prohibited under California law.

Hostile Work Environment

Hostile work environment harassment involves severe or pervasive unwelcome sexual conduct that alters the terms of your employment and makes the workplace intimidating, offensive, or abusive. Conduct that can qualify includes unwanted advances, requests for sexual favors, sexual comments or jokes, inappropriate touching, and displays of sexual material. California law doesn’t require that harassment be motivated by sexual desire, and it applies regardless of the sex or gender of either party.

Isolated offhand comments may not meet the legal threshold on their own, but frequent conduct or a single severe incident can be enough. If your workplace has become somewhere you dread because of sexual conduct, that experience is worth discussing with an attorney.

Why Irvine Workers Choose Jackson APC

Founded in 2015, Jackson APC has handled more than 500 cases and recovered millions for employees and consumers across California. Our team carries over 30 years of collective legal experience in employment and high-stakes litigation, and we bring the same resource-backed, litigation-forward approach to individual harassment claims that we deploy in complex mass tort matters.

Founding attorney Armond M. Jackson is a member of The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, an invite-only organization recognizing leaders in civil and criminal law. He has also been recognized by Martindale-Hubbell, LawDragon, and Best Lawyers in America. When large employers come to the table with legal departments and outside counsel, our clients deserve a team with the credentials and resolve to match that firepower.

We offer bilingual services in English and Spanish, work on a contingency fee basis, and provide free initial consultations. You pay nothing unless we recover for you.

Compensation You May Be Able to Recover

A successful sexual harassment claim in California can pursue several categories of damages. The right combination depends on the facts of your case, but the range of potential recovery is broader than many employees realize.

Economic Damages
Lost wages, lost benefits, back pay, and job search costs resulting from a forced resignation or wrongful termination connected to the harassment.

Non-Economic Damages
Compensation for emotional distress, pain and suffering, and psychological harm caused by the harassment and its aftermath.

Additional Remedies
In cases involving physical sexual assault or battery, additional civil liability may attach to both the perpetrator and the employer. California courts may also award attorney fees and costs to a prevailing plaintiff, and punitive damages may be available in egregious cases. Under California SB 1300, a prevailing defendant can’t recover attorney fees and costs unless the court finds the action was frivolous, unreasonable, or groundless when brought or that the plaintiff continued to litigate after it clearly became so.

Talk to a Sexual Harassment Lawyer at No Cost

You don’t have to navigate this alone. Whether your experience occurred in Irvine, elsewhere in Orange County, or anywhere in California, Jackson APC is here to listen and help you understand your options.

Contact Jackson APC today at (949) 828-3303 for a free, confidential consultation. There’s no fee unless we recover for you.

California Law & the Process for Filing a Sexual Harassment Claim

California has some of the strongest workplace harassment protections in the country. Understanding the legal framework and the steps involved can help you make informed decisions about moving forward.

FEHA Protections & Employer Liability

The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) is the primary state law prohibiting workplace sexual harassment. FEHA applies to any employer with one or more employees and protects all workers regardless of sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

Employers are strictly liable for sexual harassment committed by supervisors. For harassment by co-workers or third parties, employer liability applies when the employer knew or should have known about the conduct and failed to take appropriate corrective action. California Senate Bill 1300, effective in 2019, reinforced FEHA’s protections and clarified that a single severe incident can be sufficient to support a claim.

Filing a Complaint & the Right-to-Sue Letter

Before filing a civil lawsuit for sexual harassment in California, employees must file an administrative complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), the state agency that enforces anti-harassment and discrimination laws. The CRD was formerly known as the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), a name that still appears in older resources.

Under FEHA as amended by AB 9, employees have three years from the last act of harassment to file a complaint with the CRD. Once the CRD issues a right-to-sue letter, the employee has one year to file a civil lawsuit in California court.

Employees may also file a complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Federal timelines are shorter: California employees generally have 300 days from the last harassing incident to file with the EEOC. An attorney can help you navigate both processes at once, gather evidence, and build your civil case from the start.

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