New York City Sexual Harassment Law Gets Stronger
Sexual harassment cases in New York City just got easier to win. The highest court in New York ruled that one of the key defenses used by companies in defending sexual harassment cases is no longer available.
New York City has its own sexual harassment and anti-discrimination law. This NYC law is stronger than the federal and New York State employee rights and sexual harassment laws. The federal and New York State laws contain built in defenses that make it easier for companies. Under these federal and state laws, a company can avoid liability for sexual harassment if the victim fails to report the sexual harassment to the company. This loop hole was a real problem because many sexual harassment victims do not report the harassment and this ultimately lets the company off the hook.
But now, under this new law, sexual harassment victims in New York City who are harassed by a supervisor, do not need to report the harassment to the company. New York City employers are now strictly liable for the sexual harassment of supervisors. The case is called Zakrzewska v. The New School and it is a real boost for employee rights in New York City.
