Discrimination and harassment can occur to just about anyone and they can take place in almost any job situation. However, these offenses are not solely limited to workplace relationships. Unfortunately, harassment and discrimination can, and do, happen in other situations, as well. Sometimes, they even occur when people in a position of trust take advantage of their position. Regardless of the situation, any kind of discrimination or harassment is unacceptable and anyone who falls victim to these types of behaviors should stand up for their rights.
A Chicago woman has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against a former public defender from Coles County after he allegedly assaulted, battered and sexually harassed her while he was assigned as her defense lawyer for a case that took place from 2012 to 2013. According to the woman’s suit, the man, who was an Illinois public defender, was allegedly known to have sexually harassed women he represented for as much as 10 years. Despite the complaints brought against him and the knowledge Coles County officials had of his behavior, they still allowed him to practice and continued to assign him cases.
According to the suit, the public defender retired in 2013, after three more of his previous clients had accused him of sexual harassment during the three previous years. He was disbarred in 2014 for sexual misconduct against the three women. However, before that took place, he was still assigned to represent the woman who is now suing him. The victim has also included Coles County in her lawsuit, claiming that the county’s deliberate indifference to the defender’s sexual harassment was a violation of her 14th Amendment rights. She is seeking damages for violation of her rights, as well as for assault and battery and emotional distress.
This is obviously a very unfortunate and disturbing situation that these alleged actions could take place for so many years, even though the man in question had reportedly had a history of such violations. No one should ever be the victim of any kind of harassment, especially sexual harassment. This kind of behavior is never okay. At the Law Office of Mitchell A. Kline, in Chicago, we take these matters very seriously and fight for your rights. We won’t back down and we will fight till the end to ensure that your rights are protected and that your voice is heard. Please contact us for a free initial consultation by clicking here, or give us a call at 312-558-1454, if you have been the victim of sexual harassment.
