A woman of Jamaican nationality has filed a lawsuit against her employer Resorts World Casino in New York alleging she was a victim of discrimination and sexual harassment.
The 46-year-old woman had worked for Resorts World Casino as a security guard. She claims that one of her managers once declared that Jamaicans were stupid and that “they dunce.” Because of this, the woman along with other Jamaicans were told to do tasks that were unpleasant. This manager has since been fired from her job.
In addition, the woman claims she was sexually harassed by a different supervisor. According to the woman, her supervisor demanded that she kiss him and then threatened her job security when she refused to do so. In what is an even more disturbing incident, the woman claims that this same supervisor sexually assaulted her by forcing her to manually pleasure him. The woman suffers headaches and seizures due to the incidents. The supervisor now faces criminal charges, but he has not been fired from his job.
Resorts World Casino maintains that when it comes to sexual harassment and discrimination, they have a zero-tolerance policy. They also claim that they take steps immediately to address such situations.
Incidents of sexual harassment are especially troubling. Workers have the right to feel safe and respected while working. If these rights are violated, workers can take steps to address the situation. This could include or even filing a lawsuit in some situations.
Other steps that may take place prior to filing a lawsuit include telling the harasser that their conduct is considered offensive. If that doesn’t stop the behavior, most employers have policies about sexual harassment, including steps to take if a person feels they are the victims of harassment. If that doesn’t work, the victim can go to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with a sexual harassment claim. Finally, litigation is usually the next step when all other options have failed.
As this shows no one should have to put up with harassment and discrimination. Victims of harassment have options and rights that deserve to be upheld. Seeking professional advice may be a good step to take.
Source: New York Daily News, “Resorts World security guard sues casino operator, alleging sexual harassment and discrimination on the basis of her nationality,” Eli Rosenberg, May 15, 2014
