A manufacturer of oil drilling rig components can’t deny any responsibility if one of its supervisors engages in severe sexual harassment which the victim has complained about fruitlessly to management, a federal judge in Pennsylvania ruled recently. This is no surprise, although some companies apparently remain unaware of the law. Whenever a supervisory employee harasses or discriminates against others and the company knows but does nothing to stop it, that company is legally responsible for the supervisor’s wrongdoing.

A touch on the small of the back, an offer to stand under an umbrella in the rain or an admission that a crush developed years ago can be some romantic gestures in one situation and harassment in another. When it comes to sexually charged statements or actions, context can be everything -- like when the recipient doesn't want the attention.

A secretary who has worked for the Passaic School District for over a decade has recently filed a lawsuit in New Jersey Superior Court alleging that she was sexually harassed by a city councilman. Jenny Gallo's claim accuses Councilman Terrence Love of repeatedly making inappropriate comments and unwanted sexual advances. As a result of the alleged offending conduct, Gallo has filed a sexual harassment claim under New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination (LAD) seeking punitive and other damages.

The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) protects workers from being harassed due to certain protected characteristics including race, religion, creed, national origin, gender and sexual orientation. This protection extends to workers who are perceived to be members of a protected class, even if they are not actually members of that group. A NJ Transit electrician has used this provision of the LAD to bring a sexual harassment claim on grounds that co-workers have continually harassed him because they believe that he is homosexual.

When asked, most educators in New Jersey would say that their job is rewarding. Those who work with children find joy in knowing that they have made a difference in a young life. But let's face it; the job of any educator is not always an easy one. With enough on their plate, no school official should have to suffer sexual harassment on top of it all, but that is exactly what one New Jersey guidance counselor said she had to endure.

Most people think that sexual harassment only occurs when someone makes a pass at them or touches them inappropriately. Although this type of conduct may likely be sexual harassment, according to one recent ruling out of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, even less threatening conduct, or conduct directed to third parties, can be a form of sexual harassment as well.

Sexual harassment at work is illegal under both the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination and Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. This is a pernicious form of gender discrimination, but we often hear bitter comments on how we have now outlawed every-day friendliness and flirting.

Sexual harassment in the workplace is something that many people in New Jersey have been forced to deal with. Unfortunately, some professions come with a higher likelihood than others of being victimized sexual harassment.

The Asbury Park Press performed an investigation into the issue of sexual harassment within the state government, finding that millions of dollars are spent in settlements for this workplace harassment. They also found that many of the state employees' names in lawsuits are still in their job position or have retired with "lucrative" pensions.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has accused a high-end steakhouse in New York City of ignoring sexual harassment complaints for years. The restaurant will be paying nearly two dozen male waiters $600,000, conducting anti-discrimination training and establishing an anonymous hotline for reporting discrimination as a result of the actions of a male manager. Over the course of years, the federal lawsuit argues, the manager was groping employees and making "lewd comments," which the management ignored.