A Job Should Not Be a Daily Assault on Your Dignity.
We litigate hostile-work-environment, harassment, and retaliation cases against employers that allowed — or directed — the conduct.
You may have a case if…
- ›You were repeatedly subjected to slurs, jokes, or unwanted comments about a protected characteristic.
- ›A manager or co-worker engaged in physical intimidation, touching, or unwanted advances.
- ›You complained to HR and nothing meaningful happened.
- ›You were retaliated against after raising the harassment.
- ›The harassment forced you to quit (constructive discharge).
Workplace harassment becomes legally actionable when it is based on a protected characteristic and is severe or pervasive enough to alter the conditions of your employment. California's FEHA is one of the broadest harassment statutes in the country — it covers more characteristics, applies to all employers regardless of size for harassment claims, and holds employers strictly liable for supervisor harassment.
Employers consistently underestimate harassment claims. They often respond with token investigations, sham 'training,' or quiet retaliation. We document every step of that response and use it to drive accountability.
Severe or Pervasive Standard
A hostile work environment exists when harassment is severe or pervasive — not necessarily both. A single severe incident (a physical assault, a slur, an explicit threat) can suffice. Pervasive lower-level conduct over time also qualifies.
Strict Liability for Supervisor Harassment
Under FEHA, an employer is strictly liable when a supervisor harasses an employee — there is no 'we didn't know' defense.
Co-Worker and Third-Party Harassment
Employers are liable for co-worker or third-party harassment (vendors, clients, customers) when they knew or should have known and failed to take immediate, effective corrective action.
Retaliation for Reporting
Reporting harassment is protected activity. Retaliation — termination, demotion, schedule changes, ostracism — is independently actionable, often more valuable than the underlying harassment claim.
What you can recover
- •Lost wages, past and future.
- •Emotional distress damages — often the largest component in harassment cases.
- •Punitive damages for malicious or oppressive conduct.
- •Medical and therapy expenses.
- •Attorneys' fees and costs.
The process
Step 01
Confidential Review
We listen, document, and build a chronology — including witnesses and contemporaneous communications.
Step 02
Preservation & Demand
We send a litigation hold to preserve electronic evidence and prepare a comprehensive pre-suit demand.
Step 03
Litigation
We file in Superior Court, depose the harassers and the decision-makers, and obtain HR and prior-complaint records.
Step 04
Resolution
Mediation, arbitration, or trial — fully prepared for each.
Why Okojie Law
Frequently asked questions
Is one incident enough to be a hostile work environment?+
Yes — if it is severe. A physical assault, an explicit racial or sexual slur, or a credible threat can be enough on its own. Lower-level conduct generally must be pervasive.
What if HR investigated and 'found nothing'?+
Token investigations are common and not a defense. We routinely obtain investigation files and find serious problems with how they were conducted. A sham investigation can itself support a retaliation or negligent-failure-to-investigate claim.
What if I quit because the harassment was intolerable?+
That is called constructive discharge. If a reasonable person in your position would have felt compelled to resign, you may have the same remedies as if you had been fired.
Do I have to report to HR first?+
Not always. For supervisor harassment, the employer is strictly liable. For co-worker harassment, internal reporting strengthens your case but is not always a strict prerequisite — particularly if reporting would have been futile or unsafe.
Can my employer fire me for raising a harassment complaint?+
No. Retaliation is independently unlawful. Retaliation claims often produce substantial recoveries on their own.
What does it cost?+
Nothing up front. We work on contingency.
Tell us what happened.
Confidential. No obligation. We respond within one business day.