News

The Fine Line Between Free Speech and Defamation on Social Media

On September 8, 2023, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the federal government officials for colluding with social media companies to suppress speech. The lawsuit claimed that the…

Judd’s Sexual Harassment Case Against Weinstein Expands Sexual Harassment Rights for Victims

The famous actress, Ashley Judd, pushed back against sexual harassment by Harvey Weinstein, and in the process, expanded the reach of sexual harassment law to protect victims of harassment in…

California Law Makes It Difficult to Categorize Workers as Independent Contractors

New changes to the Labor Code (Section 2750.3 of California Labor Code) make it much tougher to classify workers as independent contractors in California. The new law clarifies the standard…

Rumors Can Be Both Sexual Harassment and Defamation

Sexual rumors about an employee in the workplace can support causes of action for both sexual harassment and defamation. Defamation requires a false statement that damages the reputation of the…

Do You Need a Sexual Harassment Lawyer?

Sexual harassment can manifest itself in different forms, which makes it difficult for a sexual harassment victim to accurately assess the strength of their harassment claim and/or retaliation claim and…

Are all types of harassment on the job illegal?

Harassment on the job that is motivated by an employee’s national origin, race, or gender is illegal in California under the Fair Employment Housing Act (FEHA), as well as under the…

When is “consent” not consent?

In sexual harassment cases, the accuser must prove that the alleged harasser made “unwanted” sexual advances or engaged in other unwanted verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature”. (These…

Duty to Investigate Sexual Harassment Complaints

Employers in California have a duty to take all reasonable steps necessary to prevent discrimination and harassment from occurring. Cal. Gov. Code § 12940 (k). As part of this statutory…