Sexual Harassment Lawyer in Irvine

If you experienced sexual harassment at an Irvine workplace, you have strong protections under California law. We represent employees only, never employers, and offer a free, confidential consultation. 1-800-371-3088.

What Is Sexual Harassment in Irvine

Sexual harassment in Irvine happens in the same places you go every day: research labs and classrooms at UC Irvine; hospital wards at UCI Medical Center (in adjacent Orange) and UCI Health - Irvine; tech and gaming offices at Blizzard Entertainment (1 Blizzard Way); medical-device and pharma offices at Edwards Lifesciences (One Edwards Way) and AbbVie / Allergan (2525 Dupont Drive); corporate offices at Mazda North American Operations, Ingram Micro, and Taco Bell Restaurant Support Center; and restaurants and retail at the Irvine Spectrum Center. The most common Irvine pattern is unwanted touching, comments, or pressure from a supervisor, professor, or coworker, followed by retaliation when the worker reports it.

Irvine Industries Where Sexual Harassment Is Most Common

• UCI faculty, staff, and academic-healthcare workers - more than 14,000 employees at UCI, plus UCI Medical Center and UCI Health - Irvine.
• Life-sciences and medical-device workers - at Edwards Lifesciences (One Edwards Way), AbbVie / Allergan (2525 Dupont Drive), Masimo, and other Irvine Spectrum biotech employers.
• Tech and gaming workers - at Blizzard Entertainment (1 Blizzard Way) and other Irvine Spectrum tech employers.
• IT and global-distribution workers - at Ingram Micro (3351 Michelson Drive).
• Automotive and consumer-products workers - at Mazda North American Operations (200 Spectrum Center Drive) and Taco Bell Restaurant Support Center (1 Glen Bell Way).
• Public-sector workers - at the City of Irvine, Irvine Unified School District, South Orange County Community College District, and Orange County government.

Irvine City Protections

Irvine has no separate citywide sexual-harassment ordinance beyond California state law. Irvine harassment claims are governed by FEHA (Cal. Government Code section 12940(j)), which covers any Irvine employer with 1 or more employees for harassment claims, and by federal Title VII (15 or more employees). California also requires sexual-harassment prevention training for all employees of companies with 5 or more workers (Cal. Government Code section 12950.1). The high-profile California Civil Rights Department v. Activision Blizzard, Inc. action (Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. 21STCV26571), which involved the Irvine Blizzard Entertainment headquarters, settled for $54.875 million on December 15, 2023. UCI Medical Center and UCI Health - Irvine workers are also protected by California Health and Safety Code section 1278.5 ($25,000-per-violation civil penalty for retaliation tied to patient-safety reporting).

California Law

California gives you broad statewide protection against sexual harassment. For the full statutory framework, deadlines, and how the state laws fit together, see our California employment law page and the in-depth California Sexual Harassment Guide.

What Compensation Can You Recover

California does not cap damages for sexual harassment claims. For a full breakdown of what you can recover, see the California Sexual Harassment Guide.

How to File a Sexual Harassment Claim in Irvine

Civil employment lawsuits filed by Irvine workers are heard at the Orange County Superior Court, Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701 (complex civil matters at the Civil Complex Center, 751 West Santa Ana Boulevard, Santa Ana, CA 92701). For agency contacts, deadlines, and the full filing process, see our California employment law page. We handle the filing process for you, call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.