Sexual Harassment Lawyer Serving Orange County

What Is Sexual Harassment in Orange County

Sexual harassment in Orange County falls into two categories under FEHA Government Code section 12940: quid pro quo (supervisor conditioning employment benefits on sexual conduct) and hostile work environment (severe or pervasive unwelcome sexual conduct). California Government Code section 12923 (SB 1300) makes a single severe incident sufficient. SB 331 (Silenced No More Act) limits NDAs in settlements; AB 51 limits forced arbitration of FEHA claims; the federal Ending Forced Arbitration Act (March 2022) lets employees opt out of pre-dispute arbitration for sexual-harassment claims.

Orange County Industries Where Sexual Harassment Occurs

• Healthcare workers - Providence St. Joseph Hospital, UCI Medical Center (state academic medical center), CHOC (Children's Hospital of Orange County), Kaiser Anaheim-area facilities; patient-driven and supervisor harassment
• Higher-education staff and faculty - Chapman University and Brandman; Title IX overlap, FEHA, and tenure-related cases
• Hospitality & hotel workers - the Anaheim/Garden Grove/Costa Mesa convention-hotel corridor and the UCI Medical Center area; SB 970 hotel sexual-harassment training; SB 93 panic-button rules
• Restaurants and retail across Orange County - South Coast Plaza (Costa Mesa), Fashion Island (Newport Beach), Irvine Spectrum, MainPlace Mall (Santa Ana), and restaurants countywide; harassment by managers, coworkers, or guests
• Orange County & OCTA workers - public-employer Skelly procedures and FEHA
• Professional services & financial - First American Financial Corporation and other Orange-based professional employers

Orange County Worker Protections

Orange County's cities don't have separate sexual-harassment ordinances, but California state protections are among the strongest in the country. SB 1300 (codified at Government Code section 12923) recognizes that a single severe incident can support a hostile-environment claim. SB 970 requires hotel sexual-harassment training and SB 93 requires panic buttons for hotel housekeepers in California. SB 331 (Silenced No More Act) limits NDAs in harassment, discrimination, or retaliation settlements. AB 51 limits forced arbitration of FEHA claims, and the federal Ending Forced Arbitration Act (March 2022) lets you opt out of pre-dispute arbitration for sexual-harassment claims. UCI Medical Center workers have civil-service Skelly rights and California Whistleblower Protection Act (Gov't Code section 8547) protections.

California Law

California gives you broad statewide protection, 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 You Can Recover

California provides robust remedies for employment-law violations. For a full breakdown of what you can recover, see the California Sexual Harassment Guide.

How to File a Sexual Harassment Claim in Orange County

Civil employment cases involving Orange County workers and employers are filed at the Orange County Superior Court. Most employment cases go to the Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana; complex civil cases (large class, PAGA, multi-plaintiff) go to the Civil Complex Center, 751 W. Santa Ana Blvd, Santa Ana. The Lamoreaux Justice Center, 341 The City Drive South, Orange, CA 92868 handles family-law matters and self-help. Clerk's phone: (657) 622-6878. The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) handles FEHA complaints. 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.