Workplace Harassment Lawyer in Pasadena

FEHA-covered harassment in Pasadena runs broader than sexual harassment alone, race, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, and gender identity are all protected. Pasadena's mix of research labs, hospitals, public-sector offices, and retail produces distinct harassment fact patterns. Government Code section 12923 makes a single severe incident actionable. Call us at 1-800-371-3088.

What Is Workplace Harassment in Pasadena

FEHA prohibits harassment in any Pasadena workplace based on any protected category - race, religion, disability, age (40+), national origin, ancestry, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, reproductive-health decision-making, and more (Cal. Government Code section 12940(j)). Under Cal. Government Code section 12940(j)(4), the harassment provisions apply to employers with one or more employees, much broader than the 5-employee threshold for discrimination claims. To prove a hostile-work-environment claim under Jones v. The Lodge at Torrey Pines Partnership (2008) 42 Cal.4th 1158, you must show conduct that was based on a protected category, unwelcome, and either severe or pervasive enough to alter your working conditions. A single severe incident can satisfy the standard.

Pasadena Industries Where Harassment Claims Are Most Common

• Aerospace, research, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) workers - at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) managed by Caltech under a $30 billion 10-year contract running through September 30, 2028 (after 68 years NASA is opening JPL's contract to competitive bidding for the first time, with significant workforce uncertainty). JPL/Caltech engineers and scientists are protected by federal whistleblower laws including the NASA Inspector General Act, Sarbanes-Oxley (18 U.S.C. section 1514A) for any federal contractor work, and California whistleblower protections (Cal. Labor Code section 1102.5). Any major reduction in force may trigger California WARN Act (Cal. Labor Code section 1400 et seq.) notice obligations.
• Higher education workers at Caltech - at the California Institute of Technology - a private research university with a globally-recognized faculty and research staff. Caltech employees have federal whistleblower protections under the False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. sections 3729-3733) for reporting fraud against the U.S. government on federally-funded research, Title IX (20 U.S.C. section 1681), the National Labor Relations Act, and California FEHA / Labor Code protections. Caltech faculty and grad-student researchers have important protections under California Labor Code section 1102.5 (whistleblower retaliation) and Education Code provisions.
• Healthcare workers at Huntington Health (Huntington Hospital) - at Huntington Health (Huntington Hospital) - one of the major hospitals in the San Gabriel Valley. Covered by SB 525 healthcare-worker minimum-wage schedule (Cal. Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16) which reaches $25/hour at large hospital systems on July 1, 2026; California Health & Safety Code section 1278.5 ($25,000-per-violation civil penalty for patient-safety retaliation); and CNA / SEIU-UHW / NUHW collective bargaining agreements.
• K-12 education workers at Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) - at the Pasadena Unified School District. Covered by California Education Code sections 44930-44987 (permanent-employee dismissal protections), the Educational Employment Relations Act (EERA / Cal. Gov. Code sections 3540-3549.3), Cal. Education Code section 44113 (school-employee whistleblower protections), and CTA-affiliated collective bargaining agreements. PUSD has a dual-enrollment program with Pasadena City College. PEPRA and the 6-month government-claim deadline apply.
• Community college workers at Pasadena City College (PCC) - at Pasadena City College. Community-college employees are covered by HEERA (Cal. Gov. Code sections 3560-3599), Cal. Education Code sections 87600-87683, PEPRA, and the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline.
• City of Pasadena government and Pasadena Water and Power workers - at the City of Pasadena (charter city), the Pasadena Police Department, the Pasadena Fire Department, and Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) - the city's municipally-owned electric and water utility. PWP utility workers may have Energy Reorganization Act section 5851 (42 U.S.C. section 5851) whistleblower protections. Police covered by POBR (Cal. Gov. Code section 3300 et seq.); firefighters by FBOR (Cal. Gov. Code section 3250 et seq.); all public employees by PEPRA, MMBA (Cal. Gov. Code sections 3500-3511), and the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline.
• Retail, restaurant, and hospitality workers in Old Town Pasadena - at Old Town Pasadena, along South Lake Avenue, and at Paseo Colorado. Pasadena has its own Minimum Wage Ordinance (adopted March 14, 2016), with the citywide minimum wage rising to $18.57/hour effective July 1, 2026 (up from $18.04). Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn the $20.00/hour AB 1228 floor (Cal. Labor Code section 1474).

Pasadena Local Protections

Pasadena has its own Minimum Wage Ordinance adopted by the Pasadena City Council on March 14, 2016. The citywide minimum wage rises to $18.57/hour effective July 1, 2026 (up from $18.04), the highest in the San Gabriel Valley. Pasadena workers are also covered by the California state minimum wage floor (Cal. Labor Code section 1182.12 - $16.90/hour effective January 1, 2026) and industry-specific state rules including AB 1228 ($20/hour fast-food), SB 525 (healthcare-worker tiered schedule - directly relevant to Huntington Health workers), and AB 701 (warehouse quotas).

California requires harassment-prevention training for all employees of companies with 5+ workers (Cal. Government Code section 12950.1).

California Law

Individual supervisors can be personally liable for FEHA harassment under Reno v. Baird (1998) 18 Cal.4th 640 (supervisors are not personally liable for discrimination, but they are for harassment). For the full California harassment framework, see our California employment law page.

What Compensation Can You Recover

California does not cap FEHA harassment damages. You may recover back pay, front pay, emotional-distress damages, punitive damages, and attorneys' fees and costs (Cal. Government Code section 12965(c)). SB 331 (Silenced No More Act) means severance agreements cannot bar you from discussing the harassment publicly. For details, see our California employment law page.

How to File a Workplace Harassment Claim in Pasadena

State FEHA charges go to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), Los Angeles Office, 320 West 4th Street, 10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Federal Title VII charges go to the EEOC Los Angeles District Office, 255 East Temple Street, 4th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Civil suits are heard at the Los Angeles County Superior Court - Pasadena Courthouse, 300 East Walnut Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (Northeast District). Call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.