Maryland Sexual Harassment Attorney

Serving Maryland Employees Facing Workplace Injustice Since 2008

You don’t need to wait for the conduct to become more serious before seeking guidance. We can evaluate what happened and discuss possible next steps, including an employer report, negotiation, an administrative complaint, or a lawsuit when appropriate.

Founded in 2008, our firm handles employment law matters for individuals across Maryland. At The Law Office of Andrew M. Dansicker, we represent employees and applicants facing workplace sexual harassment, including matters involving retaliation or employment consequences. Our attorneys have worked on both sides of employment law cases, and we use that perspective to explain legal options, set realistic expectations, and keep clients informed.

Discuss your options: Call (410) 213-3392 or contact us online for a confidential consultation.

Sexual Harassment in the Maryland Workplace

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recognizes sexual harassment as a form of sex discrimination. It can include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other sexual conduct when submission or rejection affects employment. It can also involve conduct that creates a working environment a reasonable person would consider hostile or abusive.

Common examples may include:

• Sexual comments, propositions, messages, images, or gestures
• Unwanted touching or repeated requests for dates
• Requests for sexual conduct tied to hiring, promotion, scheduling, or continued employment
• Sex-based insults or offensive remarks that aren’t explicitly sexual
• Repeated conduct that interferes with an employee’s working conditions

Quid pro quo harassment occurs when an employment benefit or consequence is tied to accepting or rejecting sexual conduct. A hostile work environment claim concerns unwelcome conduct that, based on the totality of the circumstances, creates a working environment a reasonable person would consider hostile or abusive. The alleged harasser may be a supervisor, coworker, customer, client, or another nonemployee, and the people involved may be of the same or different sex.

What to Do After Workplace Sexual Harassment

Preserve relevant evidence before messages, records, or details are lost. Keep materials in their original form and avoid deleting communications or altering files.

Useful records may include:

• Emails, text messages, direct messages, photographs, and images
• Contemporaneous notes identifying dates, locations, statements, and witnesses
• Schedules, personnel documents, evaluations, and records of employment actions
• Copies of reports made to human resources, management, or another designated channel

Reporting internally may be appropriate, but it isn’t always the required first step. An employer investigation also doesn’t automatically extend external filing deadlines. We can evaluate the circumstances, gather evidence, and recommend a course of action tailored to your situation before you make an irreversible employment decision.

Legal Options for Sexual Harassment Claims in Maryland

Depending on the facts, our employment law attorneys can help you file: 

• A complaint with your employer
• A claim with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
• A claim with the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights
• A claim in another applicable administrative proceeding
• A lawsuit against your employer

Every case requires a tailored approach. The appropriate route depends on the conduct, available evidence, the employer’s response, resulting employment consequences, and applicable deadlines.

A case may involve an internal complaint, agency charge, negotiation, mediation, litigation, or more than one of these paths. Our relationships with defense attorneys and in-house counsel throughout Maryland also inform how we approach negotiations and advocate for outcomes aligned with each client’s goals.

Retaliation after Reporting Sexual Harassment

Too often, people continue to suffer in an offensive or hostile work environment because they fear retaliation. Maryland law prohibits retaliation against someone for complaining about discrimination, filing a charge, or participating in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.

Retaliation may include termination, demotion, reduced hours, undesirable schedule changes, threats, exclusion, negative evaluations, or reassignment, depending on the circumstances. You have the right to work in an environment that is free from unlawful sexual harassment and discrimination. Preserve evidence of both the original conduct and any subsequent employment action.

Maryland Sexual Harassment Filing Deadlines

Filing deadlines depend on the law, employer, alleged conduct, and intended legal route. The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights states that employment complaints alleging harassment generally must be filed within two years of the alleged harassment. For ongoing harassment, that period is generally measured from the last incident.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Baltimore Field Office states that Maryland sex-discrimination charges against employers with 15 or more employees generally have a 300-day filing period. Maryland law has a separate framework for civil actions after applicable administrative filing requirements and waiting periods have been satisfied. An internal complaint doesn’t automatically pause these deadlines, so prompt legal review can help identify which timeframe applies.

Discuss Your Workplace Harassment Options

We can review the conduct, employment consequences, available evidence, and steps already taken. You can then make informed decisions about reporting, agency filing, negotiation, or litigation.

You can contact us even if you aren’t sure whether the conduct meets the legal definition of sexual harassment. Throughout your case, we provide personalized guidance, explain your options, and keep you informed.

Call (410) 213-3392 for a confidential consultation with our Maryland sexual harassment attorneys.