What could I do if I fill harassed at my job? Can I sue?

Question

We had a meeting today at my job for back to school. I was sitting in the front two of my coactions friends were behind me. They were busting jocks and it had me laughing a little. This one lady that was behind the lady that was giving this speech was looking at me the whole time we were there, like she didn’t like me or something. Well anyway, everybody in the meeting was talking and laughing but she just had her eye on me the who time I was there. We had a brake for 10 min she asked to speak to me. She said that she was offended by me laughing in the meeting; I told here that all these other people talking and laughing you just pick me. So she told my boss and now he is upset with me.

That got me pissed off. I want to go and talk to him tomorrow because im tired of getting singled out. Can I sue for harassment?

Answer 1

No, but you could be justifiably terminated.  You can only sue for EEOC reasons and only because you were singled out solely due to being in an EEOC protected; not for being a rude jerk and not being mature enough to control your emotions or man enough to tell the jerks to stop and grow up at the time and maybe then she would have discovered the true perps.

It is 100% legal to fire someone who is rude and insubordinate, which you were.

You should strongly consider who you consider who your "friends" are at work because in the work environment and not associate with losers that may cause you to behave unprofessionally.  

Answer 2

Based on the story as you told it no you can't sue,  In order to sue for harassment you must prove a pattern of harassment which management has been made aware of  and not corrected.

Tell your boss your sorry,  explain why you were laughing, and tell him it won't happen again.  Unless his is a genuine prick, he'll respect you more than if you make a big stink.  This is just a pissing match, and you will always lose those to the higher ups,  sometimes you just have to take the lumps.

Answer 3

Go and talk to your boss about the incident, but do not bring up your intention to sue, as that will jeopardize your position.  If you feel you are being harassed, document each incident in a diary or some other written form.  Once you have five or six major incidents of harassment, you should consult an attorney to determine if you have reasonable cause to sue.

Answer 4

Just give them a couple of rounds to the head.

Answer 5

Uh, no.  A lawyer would laugh at you if you showed up asking him or her to take that case.  You haven't been harassed.

Well, technically you can sue for anything, but if your question is really could you collect any damages, then no.  What damages do you have?  Hurt feelings isn't something you can win a lawsuit for.

Answer 6

unlikely.

1st of all, you only mention the one time you were singled out.  that's not harrassment.  if there has been a pattern, then yes you should speak to your boss and ask him if there is a problem you aren't aware of.

2nd of all, whether or not the others weren't chastised for their behavior, you still had offensive behavior yourself.  better for you to just own your own behavior and take responsibility and learn from the lesson.

Answer 7

Uh, no, how were you harassed again?

You were chastised for bad behavior during a meeting, where i work i would have been suspended if i had acted as you had.

Doesn't matter if anyone else was chastised, your still in the wrong.

Answer 8

I am sorry but i do not believe that you have a case because although it was not right to single you out.  You were at work and should not have disrupted the meeting and if she did not verbally harass you you do not have a case.  She probably went after you because it easier to confront a sing person than it is to a whole group.  I like when you where in high school many people broke the rules but only a few got in trouble    

Answer 9

I wouldn't recommend it,

She probably picked at you because you were closer to her and that's all she heard.

you don't really have a case, since she complained about your behavior and she was right in a way. I mean you were laughing while she was speaking, that's unacceptable and unprofessional.

Even when others were busting jokes, you should have ignored them.

You should explain what happened to your boss. this was not intentional, you just couldn't keep your laugh , the jokes were about something else, not about her.

clarify this so there's no hurt feelings and she doesn't end up suing.