Sexual harassment that involves coercion or bullying of a sexual nature is illegal, but it still sometimes occurs in Indiana and other states. One woman in an out-of-state case, who used to work for a university, said she endured sexual harassment by an administrator at that university. She recently filed a civil lawsuit against both the man, who is now retired, and the university.
The woman who was reportedly sexually harassed by the man said he tried to convince her to let him play the role of her father. The man is also accused of making romantic and sexual advances toward her over multiple years, including when the man directly supervised her. She said that after being harassed by him, she reported the behavior.
She claimed that after she rejected and reported him, he became hostile, and she was terminated. The woman is now suing for sex discrimination and retaliation. The administrator being sued had served as an associate vice chancellor in charge of process innovation at the school. He retired shortly after the institution announced he was going to be replaced.
Sexual harassment in Indiana may include sexual advances that are unwelcome, physical or verbal conduct of a sexual nature, or sexual favor requests. All of these actions are prohibited by federal legislation, and if they take place at a workplace, an employer is responsible for taking steps to address the issue. People who experience sexual harassment have the right to file claims against their employers, with remedies potentially including the reinstatement of a job, compensatory damages or back pay, depending on the circumstances surrounding the case.
Source: dailycamera.com, “Lawsuit alleges sexual harassment by former CU-Boulder administrator“, Sarah Kuta, Nov. 7, 2015
