So what exactly are unwanted sexual advances? Unwanted sexual advances range in severity from an unwelcome lewd joke to coerced sexual intercourse. Generally, a one-time situation in which you’re offended by a comment, suggestive remark, flirtation, or suggestive image is considered very mild and not much cause for concern. In many cases, these occurrences are meant to be humorous and are entirely unintentional. Cases such as this are often resolved when the offending party is informed that their behavior is inappropriate and out of place. It is when this behavior is repeated, in spite of your attempt to educate the offender, that you have cause for concern.
If you find that the unwanted sexual advances consist of any type of touching or unwelcome contact, you should be immediately alarmed. Also considered severe is the displaying of any type of pornographic material. In extreme cases of workplace sexual harassment, a supervisor may coerce a co-worker into having sex by threatening to interfere with the employee’s terms of employment. Cases like this require immediate action and should not be left to build up. Anti-retaliation laws are just as powerful as sexual harassment laws, so there’s no need to worry about termination.
It is entirely possible for unwanted sexual advances to occur between members of the same sex, many times as a means of displaying dominance or power. Generally though, men are the offending party in cases of unwanted sexual advances and women are the victims, but that doesn’t mean that sexual harassment can’t occur with the woman being the offender.
In a recent case, pop star Britney Spears was sued by a former bodyguard for what he claimed were unwanted sexual advances. The case alleges that the bodyguard, Fernando Flores, was forced to quit his job due to an uncomfortable work environment created by the repeated advances of Spears. A court dismissed the case, but new claims have surfaced by Flores that state that Spears sent him explicit photos of herself. If true, this would be a clear occurrence of an unwanted sexual advance.
While the original case was dismissed, events like this go to show that unwanted sexual advances can happen to any gender, in any environment, and at any level of society. If you’ve experienced any of the previously mentioned offending behaviors, you should immediately start building your case for either a formal internal complaint or a lawsuit. In case of the latter, Diefer Law Firm invites you to familiarize yourself with our services and law team to see if we’re a good fit for you. It is important to have lawyers that specialize in the particular field your claim is concerned with, and the team at Diefer Law Firm fits that bill.