Legal Question in Sexual Harassment in Georgia

Can corporate security be liable for sexual harrassment?

I was shown porn material by corporate security that they assumed was surfed by myself on my company laptop. Their server log shows that the inappropriate web viewing happened under my username on the corporate network while remotely logged in. This went on during the evening from 9:44pm to 1:30am. I was remotely accessing the corporate network from 9:24pm to 9:29pm to check email. My event log shows I disconnected from the corporate network. My computer log shows that online banking was going on from 10:30pm to 11:00pm which my wife was doing not on the corporate network, but through my regular DSL at home. Their server report does not show the banking activity. The event log clearly shows that my computer turned off at 11:01pm. The supposed inappropriate web viewing went for another 2.5 hours. I only figured out how to view the event log the evening after my talk with security. There are other occurrences when this happened but I don't have those dates. Security only looked at the one date with me. They cloned my pc and they will not find porn on my computer. They are still investigating. Do I have any recourse for the humiliation and embarrassment I suffered for being exposed to porn I was wrongfully accused of by Security?


Asked on 7/14/06, 6:45 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Scott Riddle Law Office of Scott B. Riddle, LLC

Re: Can corporate security be liable for sexual harrassment?

Your employer certainly has a right to investigate the use of their property and network, and here, your log-in was used. For many employers, that is grounds for automatic termination. It would take more than them merely showing you the evidence they have for you to have a claim, even if it is distasteful. You don't say they made you sit for extended periods and look at it page by page, soi I assume that is not the case. I'd suggest considering the larger issue (your continued employment; their likely ability to terminate for the incident) before making too many waves.

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Answered on 7/14/06, 6:56 am


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