Two more women accuse Providence housing director of sexual harassment

Two more women have come forward, accusing the director of Providence Housing Authority’s executive director of sexual harassment.

The two former employees told the Providence Journal that PHA Executive Director Stephan O’Rourke sexually harassed them when they worked at the agency. The women said he made unwanted sexual advances and comments. They ultimately left their jobs as a result of the misconduct.

Victims of harassment can employ a sexual harassment attorney to seek compensation for lost wages and emotional distress if their accusations are found to have merit.

O’Rourke was put on paid leave Tuesday pending an investigation into the women’s allegations.

Another woman, who worked as O’Rourke’s executive assistant, previously filed a complaint of harassment and alleges incidents of fraud at the agency in regards to federal funds and no-bid contracts.

O’Rourke denies all three women’s claims and stated he was “flabbergasted” by them.

Despite the laws prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace many people engage in the behavior. The victims often find that when they report the harassment their employers ignore or disregard their allegations and find that their only hope to end it is to hire a sexual harassment lawyer.  

Since sexual harassment often leads to emotional distress and possible loss of income the victims have a legal course of action they can take not only to put stop the misconduct but also to seek damages. A sexual harassment attorney has the knowledge and skills obtain a favorable settlement for the accusers.