A Michigan state representative has filed a sexual harassment complaint against a local Arab-American leader. The accused man has been placed on administrative leave by the civil rights group for which he works, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. The government has stated that he may be fired if it is shown that he committed workplace discrimination against the complainant and other women.
The female representative sent a letter to the Committee’s board claiming that the regional office director had sexually harassed her as well as numerous other women. She also claimed that the Committee had done nothing to stop the behavior. The group responded with a statement that it would not tolerate sexual harassment and that it was taking the issue seriously, retaining an investigator to examine the facts of the case. Pending the investigation’s outcome, the director has been placed on administrative leave and the group has stated that it expects his full cooperation.
The legislator and another woman claim that they were both sexually harassed by the director when they were employed at the Dearborn office. The women claim the harassment consisted of groping, rubbing against them, trying to kiss them and making sexual comments as well as pressuring them to sleep with him. A total of eight women have claimed that the director harassed them.
Victims of sexual harassment or other forms of workplace civil rights violations may be entitled to payment of damages from the person who committed the violation. A workplace discrimination attorney may represent those who have suffered this kind of treatment at the hands of an employer, manager or co-worker and attempt to help them navigate the procedures for filing a claim and collecting damages.
Source: Deadline Detroit, “Rashida Tlaib Accuses Arab-American Leader Of Harassment”, June 01, 2013