Does the size of my employer affect my protection?

No. California's FEHA prohibits sexual harassment by employers of any size, which is broader than other FEHA claims requiring at least five employees. A small clinic or boutique firm is covered just as a large institution is.

I did not come forward right away. Is my claim gone?

Not on that basis alone. A delay in reporting does not automatically end a sexual harassment claim. People often wait until they feel safe, and what matters is whether the conduct occurred and that you act within the applicable legal deadlines.

Can my employer retaliate against me for reporting?

Retaliation for reporting or opposing sexual harassment is separately unlawful under FEHA. Termination, demotion, removal from projects, or discipline after a good-faith complaint can be its own claim, independent of the harassment.

What is the filing deadline in California?

FEHA cases generally begin with a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), and you usually have three years from the last harassing act to file with the CRD. Because deadlines vary, consulting an attorney promptly is advisable.

What does it cost to discuss my case?

An initial review is confidential and carries no obligation. Many California employment matters are handled on contingency, meaning attorney fees depend on a recovery rather than upfront payment. Specific terms are explained before any representation begins.

Pasadena Sexual Harassment Lawyer

Pasadena employees have a right to work without enduring unwanted sexual conduct. Under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), your workplace must be free of sexual harassment — whether that means a supervisor tying your job to tolerating advances, or a sustained pattern of demeaning behavior that makes the environment hostile. Our employment practice serves Pasadena workers across its research institutions, hospitals, universities, hotels, and professional offices, offering confidential and respectful guidance in English and Armenian. If something at work has crossed a line, you deserve clear, judgment-free answers about your rights and your options.

Sexual Harassment matters in Pasadena

Sexual harassment in Pasadena''s workplaces

Pasadena''s economy leans toward research, higher education, healthcare, and professional services, alongside a notable hospitality sector built around Old Pasadena, the convention center, and the city''s hotels and restaurants. These are often credential-driven, hierarchical environments — labs, academic departments, medical groups, and firms where careers depend on mentorship, recommendations, and advancement. That hierarchy can be exploited, which is exactly what California law guards against.

There are two recognized forms of sexual harassment. Quid pro quo harassment ties a tangible job benefit — a position, a grant role, a promotion, a strong reference — to submitting to sexual conduct. A hostile work environment arises when unwelcome conduct is severe or pervasive enough to alter the conditions of your work: repeated propositions, suggestive remarks, unwanted touching, or messages that persist after you have signaled they are unwelcome.

Protection that reaches every employer

An important detail for Pasadena''s mix of large institutions and small practices: FEHA''s prohibition on sexual harassment applies to employers of any size. Many other FEHA claims require an employer with five or more employees, but the harassment protection covers even the smallest office or clinic. A boutique firm on Lake Avenue is just as bound as a major hospital.

The harasser may be a supervisor, a colleague, or a non-employee — a patient, a client, a vendor, or a visiting researcher. When an employer knew or should have known of the conduct and failed to take prompt, effective action, it can be held liable.

Retaliation and reporting at your own pace

In settings where advancement depends on reputation, the fear of being labeled or losing a recommendation is real. California law treats retaliation as a separate violation. If you are terminated, demoted, removed from a project, or disciplined after a good-faith complaint, that can be its own claim. And a delayed report does not end your claim — it is common to wait until you feel secure enough to speak, and the law recognizes that.

Pasadena cases and preserving evidence

Pasadena lies within Los Angeles County, so employment lawsuits for Pasadena workers are generally filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court system. FEHA claims usually begin with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) before any court action.

If you can do so safely, keep a dated log of what happened, preserve any emails or messages, and note who witnessed the conduct. You do not need a complete file to reach out. A confidential conversation is simply a way to understand your rights and the path forward.

How Mihran M. Ghazaryan helps with sexual harassment

Mihran M. Ghazaryan handles these matters with discretion and care. He preserves the messages, reports, and witness accounts before they disappear, evaluates both the harassment and any retaliation that followed, and holds the employer to its duty to prevent and stop it. He explains your options plainly — including what reporting and not-yet-reporting mean for your claim — and pursues the full range of relief the law provides.

Types of sexual harassment cases we handle

Quid pro quo harassment

A supervisor tying a raise, promotion, schedule, or continued employment to sexual demands.

Hostile work environment

Severe or pervasive unwelcome conduct — comments, advances, messages, touching — that a reasonable person would find abusive.

Retaliation for reporting

Punishment after you complained about harassment is itself unlawful, and the timing is often strong evidence.

What you may be able to recover

Every sexual harassment case case is different, but California law lets wronged employees pursue several categories of relief. We document each one — pay records, performance reviews, communications — so nothing is left on the table.

Back pay and lost benefits

Wages, commissions, and benefits you lost from the date of the wrongful act — a core remedy in wrongful-termination and discrimination claims.

Front pay

Future earnings you're likely to lose when reinstatement isn't realistic, measured until you can reasonably be expected to find comparable work.

Emotional distress

Compensation for the anxiety, humiliation, and harm to wellbeing that unlawful treatment at work can cause.

Penalties and punitive damages

Statutory penalties for wage violations, and — where an employer acted with malice or oppression — punitive damages meant to deter the conduct.

Attorney's fees and costs

Many California employment statutes shift the employee's reasonable attorney's fees and costs onto an employer that broke the law.

Reinstatement and policy change

Where it fits the case, getting your job back or forcing the employer to correct the practice that harmed you.

How we work

Free, confidential consultation

We listen first and tell you plainly whether you appear to have a claim. The conversation is confidential and there's no fee to have it — and we're careful if you're still employed.

Preserve the record

Offer letters, handbooks, performance reviews, emails and texts, pay stubs, and a dated timeline. The contemporaneous record is what wins an employment case, so we lock it down early.

Administrative exhaustion and the demand

FEHA claims generally require a complaint with the Civil Rights Department and a right-to-sue notice first. We handle that step, then present a documented demand to the employer.

Litigation when necessary

Many matters resolve through negotiation or mediation. When an employer won't be reasonable, we file and prepare the case fully — which is usually what moves the number.

What to do right away

Save harassing messages, emails, and texts — and screenshot anything that might be deleted.

Keep a dated log of incidents and who witnessed them.

Report through your employer's process where safe; their response (or lack of one) matters.

Preserve everything to a personal account.

Talk to a lawyer about your options before signing anything or resigning.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.