When you think of sexual harassment in the workplace in Chaska, Minnesota, you are probably not likely to think of men as the victims. Yet men can be every bit as vulnerable to it as their female counterparts.
A man who is accusing his former employer of sexual harassment says he endured years of unwanted sexual advances. The man worked for Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford who is currently a Republican candidate for governor. Earlier this month the man quit his job and began working with the Cook County Recorder of Deeds instead.
The man says that Rutherford invited him to an office retreat at his home, but when he arrived no one else was there. After dinner while the man was in the guest bedroom, Rutherford came in and touched the man inappropriately. The former employee also says he talked to the Rutherford’s chief of staff about the incident who told him that Rutherford had made advances on him as well.
The man filed a federal lawsuit against Rutherford in which he points to other instances of sexual harassment and unwanted advances. He also says that Rutherford required him to do work for his campaign while he was on state time. He alleges that the harassment has caused him such stress and anxiety as to lead to severe headaches, the medical treatment of which has totaled more than $100,000.
No matter what your gender, if you are a victim of sexual harassment or unwanted advances in the workplace, you may want to talk to an attorney experienced in employment law.
Source: CBS Chicago, “Former Employee Accuses Rutherford of Sexual Harassment,” Feb. 10, 2014