A former female employee of Georgia Health Sciences
University filed a federal sexual harassment lawsuit alleging she was fired
after complaining about the harassment, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
Deborah Ruth Johnson, who worked as a social worker for the
hospital, stated in the lawsuit, that Dr.
Afshin Ameri, a physician in her department, began making telling
colleagues that the department was only hiring women with big “breasts.” He
also told her once that he “noticed her legs were open,” while she was sitting.
Johnson went to her supervisor, Dr. Roger Vega, and told him
about the harassment.
Vega requested
that Johnson not go to human resources about the allegations, and let him
handle the matter “internally.” Johnson believes Vega made this request so that
Ameri would not be fired since he had previous sexual harassment complaints on
record.
Sexual harassment attorneys
are needed to intercede when management is not effective at ending harassment.
Vega assured Johnson that Ameri would take sensitivity
training. According to the lawsuit, Ameri did not take the training seriously
and continued to make “irrational sex based comments” about Johnson.
The lawsuit states that Vega fired Johnson in 2010 because
she failed to “satisfactorily complete her provisional period.”
Sexual
harassment lawyers call firing a person for reporting harassment
retaliation.
An individual who was repeatedly harassed and fired can hire
a
sexual harassment attorney, who
will seek compensation for lost wages and emotional duress.
