Legal Question in Sexual Harassment in California

Does this constitute sexual harrassment?

I work in an office full of women. I am the only male. We have a young lady who is approximately five months pregnant. Recently she has been undergoing quite a bit of problems during the pregnancy.

Our supervisor called us all into a meeting today and informed us that the woman will be taking disability due to her medical problems.

Afterwards, the woman began going into vivid detail about her symptoms, bodily functions and various problems, using medically correct terminology. This made me uncomfortable. I asked, ''May I leave?'' To which my co-workers told me I ''would have to go through with it with my wife when she got pregnant.'' I felt I was forced to stay in the meeting while they went into discussions about their own pregnancies, various experiences with doctors as well as continuing on with the descriptions of what was occuring to her.

This made me very uncomfortable and I felt that I had to stay when it did not relate to the business environment at all. Does this constitute sexual harrassment since I did ask to leave and they could tell I was uncomfortable and yet was forced to stay?


Asked on 12/01/06, 12:32 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Terry A. Nelson Nelson & Lawless

Re: Does this constitute sexual harrassment?

Possibly, but one event does not give grounds for a lawsuit. Memo your supervisor politely that you were uncomfortable and request it not happen again. IF you are retaliated against, that would be a different issue, then contact me.

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Answered on 12/04/06, 5:54 pm


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