Cook County Woman Sues USPS for Sexual Assault

 Posted on December 31, 2024 in Sexual Harassment

A woman sued the United States Postal Service in Cook County regarding an incident that occurred in October 2023. The plaintiff in the case alleges that her supervisor sexually assaulted her while she was delivering mail while on her Chicago route. The woman says the man forcibly entered her mail truck and made inappropriate sexual advances while exposing himself and groping her.

The lawsuit further claims that USPS management refused to address prior complaints against the supervisor and that he was known as a "serial assaulter" within USPS and the union. Even after the woman reported the sexual harassment multiple times, nothing was done. The lawsuit, seeking damages in excess of $75,000, alleges sexual harassment leading to a hostile workplace, along with assault and battery.

If you have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace or have been sexually assaulted at work, it can be beneficial to speak to a Wheaton, IL sexual harassment lawyer. In particular, if your claims of sexual harassment are being ignored, your attorney can file a lawsuit on your behalf.  

What is Sexual Harassment in the Workplace?

Workplace sexual harassment can take many forms and can come from a coworker, a supervisor or manager, or a customer or client. Sexual harassment can include the following:

• Unwanted touching

• Staring at or leering at a coworker every day

• Making inappropriate comments or jokes

• Promising a promotion in return for sexual favors

• Threatening to demote, fire, or cut hours or salary if a sexual favor is not granted

• Teasing, intimidation, or offensive comments that are either overtly sexual or have a sexual overtone

• Bullying a person based on his or her sexual orientation

• Making inappropriate comments about a person’s body or appearance

• Making gender-based or sexual orientation-based slurs

• Making explicit jokes about sexual acts

• Sending or sharing emails, texts, photos, videos, or messages with a sexual nature

Sexual harassment is present even if a person’s conduct is not specifically aimed at another person. As an example, perhaps one person in the office continuously tells jokes and insults transgender people or women. This could be sexual harassment to anyone who hears the jokes and finds them offensive. Sexual harassment is illegal, and retaliation for reporting sexual harassment is also illegal.

What Options Does a Worker Have When Sexual Harassment Claims Are Ignored?

When a worker reports sexual harassment to a supervisor or to HR, the reports cannot legally be ignored. Employers are required to take prompt action to stop the behavior, investigate the incident or incidents, and ensure it does not happen again. The actions taken must stop the harassment without harming the person reporting the harassment in any way and without allowing that person to suffer retaliation. 

If the employer ignores the claims of sexual harassment, the person experiencing the harassment should do the following:

• Document everything, including a detailed record of each harassment incident, as well as when management or HR was informed, who was told, and what, if anything, was done.

•  If nothing is done after the first report, send a written reminder about the report and request an update on the matter.

• Speak to an experienced sexual harassment attorney to discuss filing a lawsuit.

Contact a DuPage County, IL Sexual Harassment Lawyer

If you are the victim of sexual harassment, it can change your life and your future. Speaking to a Wheaton, IL sexual harassment attorney can help you determine whether a lawsuit is the right step for you and your situation. When you choose MKFM Law for your sexual harassment claim, you will have a strong legal advocate by your side from start to finish. Contact Mirabella, Kincaid, Frederick & Mirabella, LLC at 630-665-7300 to schedule an initial attorney meeting.