In early October, a former campaign worker for California congressional candidate Carl DeMaio began speaking publicly about what he claims was sexual harassment. Although the 28-year-old man’s attorney says that he has not yet decided whether or not to file a civil lawsuit against DeMaio, he was willing to share his story with CNN.
According to the former campaign worker, he chose to ignore the first instance of sexual harassment because he suspected that DeMaio was intoxicated. As time went on, however, the unwanted sexual advances and inappropriate touching became more frequent. DeMaio has denied any wrongdoing, and a spokesman for the San Diego congressional candidate claims that the man accusing DeMaio of sexual harassment was fired for plagiarism.
The timing of the allegations has led some people to question whether the former campaign worker has political motivations. His attorney says that DeMaio is to blame for the terrible timing, and the man’s decision to speak out about his experience with sexual harassment was difficult. According to the man’s attorney, helping the first openly gay Republican to gain a seat in Congress had been one of his dreams.
Sexual harassment in the workplace can affect men just like it can affect women. In many cases, a man who has been targeted for sexual harassment by a superior is forced to quit or ends up being fired. After losing employment, a victim may suffer from a financial setback that is hard to recover from. An attorney may be able to help an individual in this situation to seek some financial compensation for their ordeal by filing a wrongful termination against the former employer.
Source: abc 10, “Potential fallout for DeMaio after harassment allegations”, Itica Milanes, October 13, 2014
