We often hear about sexual harassment cases in the workplace where women are the victims. While those may be the stories we hear the most about, it’s important to remember that sexual harassment can affect both males and females. While it may be harder for a man to come out and admit he is being harassed by a woman in the workplace, this type of courage often helps others speak out about the harassment they face as well.
That seems to be the case when it comes to a recent lawsuit filed by a custodian who works at a New York school district. The lawsuit was filed against a former female supervisor and the district. The man, age 53, is the third man to file a complaint regarding this matter.
According to the man, the supervisor made sexually inappropriate comments while at work and created a hostile working environment. On several occasions the woman apparently discussed her sexual incidents and her visit to a sex shop. She also made a lot of “sexually-charged comments” while the man was around.
The woman denies the allegations of sexual harassment. The district is also denying some of the allegations and says it does not have enough information to make an opinion about what happened.
The lawsuit claims the district didn’t address the violations after complaints were made and that the individuals who complained were later retaliated against. The man, who started working for the district in 2006, said he didn’t file the suit until 2013 because he was scared to lose his job. He was also afraid that his coworkers would make fun of him for not welcoming a sexual advance from a woman.
It’s unfortunate that these types of fears often keep men from coming forward with claims of sexual harassment, but hopefully cases like this one will give others the courage to speak out.