Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Louisiana

i was working at my university as a student employee for a professor. As a student worker I had limited hours and I permitted to go home and study if necessary. My position was lab assistant and I assisted the three grad students working in the lab of a professor. I mainly assisted one more than the other two. I was very dedicated to this position. I would worked there several days a week and came in early on weekends; this was my own decision and not actually required.

One day I had an exam and needed to leave to study. The grad student said that I could not leave. The professor said that I was allowed to leave and so I left. As I was leaving the grad student 'confronted' me where no one else could see this by speaking to me through the shelves of two rows in the lab. She said 'you may not work now buy you will work, you will work.' It was weird and I wasn't sure how to react, although I was disturbed by it.

Also this grad student would often touch me. It was not overtly sexual but it was very irritating and uncalled for.

I didn't report it immediately. The professors wife unofficially managed the lab. The atmosphere was disorganized. I did not have any idea of who to contact in the school administration about it. The website provided no information and when I called the school I was misdirected.

So I continued to work there. On another occasion the grad student accused me of eating everyone's food and always eating in the lab. This infuriated me and I confronted her about this and the touching.

The next day she and another grad student from another lab came in and exchanged indirect insults about me.

Finally I walked away from this position.

I only took this position for the experience for my major.

I spoke to a dean about the situation and he basically tried to determine if it was sexual harassment. He promised me that he would look into it and did nothing. I believe he was the dean of student relations and that is why I went to him.

Months passed and I tried to find someone in HR to speak to and was directed by someone in HR to speak to a different dean. the women who was in charge of the student worker program also told me to speak to the same dean. This is strange in itself because dean's actually have little authority and essentially no authority in these situations.

However I did not know this and was at a dead end for who to actually speak to.

At this point I was mainly trying to get my professor to support me if I needed a ob recommendation. She said that she'd speak to him and sort everything out. She asked me if I wanted the grad student fired. She told me to contact him and he stated that he wanted nothing to do with me.

In addition to this the dean also suggested that I see a school therapist. This was in relation to a personal issue that i feel she completely manipulated.

Finally I did find someone who was very obscure and difficult to reach. She informed me that the actual process for determining sexual harassment would be writing a letter which would then be reviewed by a board.

I am very offended by how I was treated there. The experience was very disturbing and exhausting. I believe that the school mistreated me and that I really was a victim of sexual harassment and that they antagonized the situation instead of fixing it.

However I was very ignorant of the law at that time and quite scared. I did not write a legal letter to the school reporting this. However, as i mentioned I would not of known who to direct it to anyway because no one actually ever told me. I was unable to afford an attorney at the time and did not seek legal advice.

I believe the statute of limitations has expired. but would I be able to sue in civil court?

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