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Sexual Harassment Claims In Williamson County

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Two former female employees of Williamson County that worked under now-retired County Court-at-Law Judge Don Higginbotham claim that they were victims of sexual harassment when working with the judge. The Austin American-Statesman reported that the two women have filed a complaint with the Texas Workforce Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and that the former employees are now suing for damages.

In this case, the plaintiffs are former court reporter Kimberly Lee and former court secretary Sharon McGuyer. On one occasion, Don Higginbotham allegedly told one of the plaintiffs to "come here, that he needed help going to the bathroom because it was too heavy for him to hold it up," according to the lawsuit. The judge also allegedly uttered profanity and other sexual comments.

Both Kimberly Lee and Sharon McGuyer were reportedly terminated from their positions after they received a federal notice of their right to sue. FindLaw states that an employer is liable when supervisors or managers are responsible for the hostile environment, unless the employer can prove that it exercised reasonable care to prevent and promptly correct harassing behavior. Examples of sexual harassment in the workplace can include unwelcome physical contact, comments of a sexual nature, or other hostile work environment conditions.

Factors that are considered when a court decides on whether a work environment is hostile or not are: frequency of offensive behavior, severity of the offensive behavior, conduct of the victim, size and nature of the company or workplace.

Sexual harassment is a serious workplace issue. Anybody that believes that they've been a victim of sexual harassment in the workplace should contact a Houston employment lawyer to learn more information on how to file a claim.

Related Resources:

  • Sexual Harassment - What is It? (FindLaw)
  • Find a Houston Employment Lawyer (FindLaw)
  • How to Spot Sexual Harassment: 6 Facts (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life Blog)

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