Are you looking for a sexual harassment lawyer in Washington, DC?
At Bloom Fudali, we are trusted sexual harassment attorneys serving clients across Washington, DC and the surrounding area.
If you’re being sexually harassed at work in Washington, DC, you may be assessing your career, finances, and wellbeing all at once. Deadlines for legal claims start running quickly, sometimes within months of the last incident. Getting sound advice early protects your options.
Bloom Fudali has represented victims of workplace sexual harassment since trial attorney Lisa Bloom founded the firm in 2010. We represent employees exclusively, never the companies accused of wrongdoing. Our Washington, DC sexual harassment lawyer can review your situation in a free consultation and explain where you stand.
Sexual Harassment Lawyer Washington, DC
Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that affects your employment. It takes two main forms. Quid pro quo harassment happens when a supervisor conditions job benefits on sexual conduct. A hostile work environment develops when unwelcome conduct makes it intimidating, humiliating, or difficult to do your job.
A sexual harassment attorney in Washington, DC investigates what happened, preserves evidence, files claims with the correct agencies before deadlines pass, and negotiates or litigates for compensation. District law protects workers in ways federal law does not, so where and when you file matters. We know both systems and pursue whichever path puts our clients in the strongest position.
Types of Sexual Harassment Cases We Handle in Washington, DC
Sexual harassment shows up differently across workplaces, from government contractors and law firms to restaurants, studios, and media companies. Over the years we have handled nearly every variation of it. These are the case types we take on for employees in Washington:
- Quid pro quo harassment. A supervisor ties hiring, promotion, scheduling, raises, or continued employment to sexual conduct. These cases often depend on timing and documentation, and we know how to establish both.
- Hostile work environment. Repeated comments, images, jokes, unwanted flirting, or touching that makes coming to work intimidating or degrading. We document the pattern over time and identify every person who witnessed it.
- Workplace harassment. Broader misconduct where sexual harassment appears alongside bullying, slurs, or demeaning treatment tied to sex or gender. We sort out which claims apply and pursue them together.
- Unwanted touching and sexual assault. Physical misconduct at work can support civil claims regardless of whether criminal charges are ever filed. We have won money for models, actors, and musicians assaulted or harassed by photographers, directors, and producers who held power over their careers.
- High-profile sexual harassment. When the accused is a celebrity, executive, or public figure, media attention changes the strategy. Lisa Bloom’s background as a legal analyst on CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC informs how we handle publicity around a case.
- Sexual favoritism. When supervisors reward employees who submit to advances, coworkers who refuse can suffer real career consequences. These claims are frequently overlooked.
- Retaliation for reporting. Demotion, exclusion, schedule cuts, or termination after you complain about harassment. A retaliation claim is sometimes stronger than the underlying harassment claim itself.
- Sexual orientation discrimination. Harassment aimed at your sexual orientation or gender identity is unlawful in the District. We have resolved cases against corporations involving deadnaming and the mocking of transgender employees.
Why Choose Bloom Fudali as my Sexual Harassment Lawyer in Washington, DC?
Trial Attorneys Who Represent Victims Only
Lisa Bloom has been practicing law since the early 1990s and founded the firm in 2010. She has been selected to Super Lawyers every year since 2015 and appears as a legal analyst on major national networks. Arick Fudali is a former prosecutor who has represented survivors of sexual abuse in civil litigation since 2011. Harassment claims often overlap with retaliation and wrongful termination, work our employment lawyer in Washington, DC handles every day. Across the firm, our attorneys bring more than 80 years of combined experience to these cases.
A Record of Verdicts and Settlements
Our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for harassment victims, including jury verdicts against a wealthy television producer and results for models, actors, production assistants, and musicians harassed by people at the top of their industries. We handle every case on contingency. You pay nothing upfront, and our fee comes out of the money we recover for you.
What Is Important To Understand About Sexual Harassment Cases?
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Sexual Harassment Cases
Compensation in a sexual harassment case depends on what you lost and what you endured. Employers can be held liable for harassment by supervisors, and in some circumstances for conduct by coworkers or non-employees they knew about and failed to address. Damages generally fall into a few categories:
- Back pay for wages and benefits lost after a termination, demotion, or forced resignation.
- Front pay when returning to the same workplace is not realistic.
- Emotional distress damages for anxiety, humiliation, and harm to daily life.
- Punitive damages in cases involving especially egregious conduct.
- Attorney’s fees and costs, which harassment laws often allow a prevailing employee to recover.
The value of a claim also reflects the strength of the evidence, the size and conduct of the employer, and the credibility of witnesses on both sides. Two cases with similar facts can resolve very differently. Part of our job is valuing your claim accurately at the start so you never settle for less than it is worth.
What Are Important Aspects of a Sexual Harassment Case?
Evidence decides these cases. Save everything, such as emails, texts, screenshots, voicemails, and dated notes about incidents and witnesses matter more than most people realize. When it is safe to do so, report the conduct through your employer’s complaint process, since internal reports create records and trigger legal duties. There are also practical steps to take immediately if the harassment is ongoing.
A few other issues come up in nearly every case:
- Retaliation after you report harassment is illegal, and it should be documented separately as it happens.
- NDAs and prior settlement agreements can affect strategy, though they do not always bar a claim.
- Victims sometimes weaken strong cases through avoidable mistakes like deleting messages or posting about the situation on social media.
What Is The Sexual Harassment Case Timeline?
No two cases move at the same pace, but most follow a similar arc. Some resolve in months through pre-litigation negotiation, while contested cases can take a year or longer. The administrative stage in particular has fixed deadlines that cannot be extended, which is one more reason not to wait.
- Investigation and evidence gathering, usually during the first several weeks.
- An administrative filing with the EEOC or the DC Office of Human Rights, which may include mediation.
- Demand and negotiation, where many claims settle before any lawsuit is filed.
- Litigation, including discovery, depositions, and motions, if negotiation fails.
- Trial or final settlement, with appeals possible in a small number of cases.
What Should You Bring to Your Sexual Harassment Consultation?
Bring whatever you have, even if it feels incomplete. Useful items include:
- Emails, texts, screenshots, and photos connected to the harassment.
- Copies of any HR complaints you made and the responses you received.
- Your employee handbook, offer letter, or any agreements you signed.
- Pay records and recent performance reviews.
- A written timeline of events with the names of witnesses.
Your consultation is free and confidential. We will listen to what happened, give you an honest assessment of your options, and explain the filing deadlines that apply to your specific situation. If we take your case, we will also walk you through what the first few weeks look like.
Washington, DC Legal Resources for Sexual Harassment Cases
Federal and District agencies publish reliable information about workplace harassment law. These resources are good starting points for understanding your rights:
- The EEOC guidance on sexual harassment explains what conduct violates federal law.
- The EEOC deadlines page covers time limits for filing a charge, which extend to 300 days in the District.
- The DC Office of Human Rights accepts discrimination complaints, which must be filed within one year of the harassment or its discovery.
- The full text of the DC Human Rights Act is published by the DC Law Library.
- The OHR complaint process outlines what happens after a complaint is filed.
Under a recent change to District law, you now have two years to file a Human Rights Act claim in court, while the one-year deadline for filing with the Office of Human Rights remains in place. Federal claims still require an EEOC charge within 300 days. Missing these windows can end an otherwise valid claim.
Reach Out to Bloom Fudali to Schedule a Consultation
If you’re dealing with harassment at work, talk with a Washington, DC sexual harassment attorney who represents victims and no one else. Your consultation with Bloom Fudali is free, and we take these cases on contingency, so you owe nothing unless we win. Contact us today to schedule a confidential case review.