Cost Of Investigating Sexual Harassment Claims
As a follow-up to yesterdays blog on the cost of sexual harassment to a company here is another example pulled from the new. The San Bernardino County Board will double the money paid to a law firm investigating a sexual harassment claim against District Attorney Michael A. Ramos. The law firm is asking for $140,000 to complete the investigation. The investigation is being handled by the law firm of Curiale Hirschfield Kraemer which needs more money because the investigation has become more complex than initially expected.
The case started when a seven-year employee of the District Attorneys office, alleged she had a 17-month affair with District Attorney Ramos and experienced on-the-job retaliation after a local weekly newspaper published articles alleging trysts between Ramos and his colleagues and subordinates. The woman is claiming sexual harassment and retaliation. According to the claim she had a spotless employment record until this summer, when she received a negative performance review and was written up for dress code violations, which she claim are acts of retaliation. You can see how expensive just the investigation into the behavior of another employee alleged to have engaged in sexual harassment can be.
"Like all investigations, one thing can lead to another," San Bernardino County spokesman David Wert said.
