Legal Question in Sexual Harassment in Illinois

Re: His Word against Mine

Sexual harassment at work is prohibited by the federal anti-discrimination laws. If there is sufficient evidence of this, then you may have a claim for money damages. Please feel free to contact an attorney to discuss the facts of your case.

Re: His Word against Mine

To further the reply of Mr. Friedman, the DA (or, in Illinois, the State's Attorney) must prove criminal assault and battery, i.e., harassment, to a standard of "beyond a reasonable doubt," which may be difficult in a "his word against mine" environment.

In a civil lawsuit, however, based upon federal or state anti-descrimination statutes, a plaintiff need only meet a standard of "preponderance of the evidence," or, in layman's terms, fifty-one percent.

Thus, while you may have a valid claim against your employer for money damages in a civil proceeding, a prosecutor may not want to take the case.

-- Kenneth J. Ashman; Ashman Law Offices, LLC; [email protected]