At Makarem & Associates, we often hear from employees who tolerate inappropriate workplace behavior because they are worried about what will happen if they speak up. Our client’s lawsuit against Article Student Living PM Services LLC describes that kind of...
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One Incident Is Enough: What a Los Angeles Complaint Alleges Against Home At Last
At Makarem & Associates, one of the most damaging myths we have to undo is the idea that harassment has to happen over and over before the law cares. It doesn't. Under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act, conduct is unlawful if it is severe or pervasive —...
When Quitting Is Really a Firing: What One Los Angeles Harassment Case Says About Constructive Termination
At Makarem & Associates, some of the hardest conversations we have start the same way: "I wasn't fired. I quit. So I probably don't have a case." More often than not, that's wrong — and a case our firm filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court is a clear example...
Harassed, Then Turned On by Her Own Coworkers: A Walmart Cashier’s Case, and Why This Could Happen Anywhere
It's easy to assume harassment cases like this only happen at small businesses without an HR department, or that a big company with formal policies would handle things differently. Our client's case against Walmart shows why that assumption doesn't hold up. This is a...
Harassed, Then Pushed Out: A Nissan of Torrance Salesman’s Fight for Accountability
Sexual harassment and racial harassment tend to get treated as separate problems, as though an employer can only be liable for one or the other. Our client's case against Nissan of Torrance is a reminder that they often aren't separate at all — sometimes it's the same...
When Protection Becomes Exploitation: Sexual Abuse by Staff in California Juvenile Detention
Young people placed in juvenile detention are entitled to safety, dignity, and appropriate care. Instead, some detained youth experience sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, or sexual abuse at the hands of the very people responsible for protecting and supervising...
No One to Turn To: When Juvenile Detention Facilities Fail to Protect Youth From Sexual Abuse
Young people placed in juvenile detention are entitled to safety, dignity, and appropriate care. When a staff member engages in sexual abuse or harassment, the harm can be profound. But the legal questions do not necessarily end with the conduct of the individual...
When Team Culture Turns Toxic: Sexual Harassment, Hazing, and Abuse in Sports Programs
Sports programs are often built around teamwork, discipline, and trust. Athletes spend long hours practicing together, traveling for competitions, sharing locker rooms, and relying on coaches and teammates in high-pressure environments. Those relationships can create...
From Complaint to Cover-Up: When Administrators Ignore Sexual Abuse in Juvenile Facilities
When an Abuse Complaint Becomes an Institutional Failure Sexual abuse in a juvenile facility is not only an individual act when administrators receive warning signs and fail to respond. A complaint can expose broader problems: prior reports left uninvestigated,...
The Price of Silence: How Fear and Intimidation Keep Juvenile Detention Sexual Abuse Hidden
Why Young People May Be Afraid to Report A detained young person may remain silent about sexual misconduct because reporting can feel more dangerous than enduring it. The alleged abuser may control housing, discipline, recreation, phone access, transportation, program...
