A recent lawsuit filed in Mercer County includes serious allegations of sexual harassment against former Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini. The claims, made by a woman who once worked for Mr. Bocchini, accuse him of conduct which created a hostile work environment.
On Monday, April 27th, a woman who remains unidentified filed a lawsuit in the Mercer County Superior Court regarding the aforementioned allegations. Specifically, she indicated that she was the victim of ongoing sexual harassment, discrimination, and a hostile work environment while working for Mr. Bocchini. The woman reportedly saved emails which documented sexually explicit messages sent by her superior; however, she claims that they were subsequently deleted from her computer’s desktop after she informed Mr. Bocchini that they were saved.
The plaintiff also claims that Mr. Bocchini touched her inappropriately and made advances toward her on multiple occasions. Mr. Bocchini is reportedly under investigation by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office. It remains to be seen whether the court finds that the woman’s claims are in fact, true and if so, if she is entitled to monetary compensation. However, this recent case calls to the forefront a serious issue which can significantly impact the lives of workplace harassment victims and their families.
State and Federal laws protect workers from sexual harassment, providing them with legal recourse through which to pursue these claims. This means that all employees are afforded the legal right to go work in an environment where they are free from unwelcome sexual conduct. In addition, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) protect employees against retaliation for reporting instances of sexual harassment and other forms of discriminatory conduct in the workplace.
If you or someone you love has been exposed to any form of sexual harassment, including, but not limited to: physical harassment (i.e. unwanted touching), verbal harassment (i.e. sexually-charged comments), or non-verbal harassment (i.e. sexually suggestive body language), you may have grounds to file a lawsuit against the responsible party or parties. Above all. it is important to know that avenues that may be available to you.
For a free consultation about your case, contact the law offices of Cohen & Riechelson at (609) 528-2596 or (215) 337-4915, or send us an email. Your information is always confidential.
For more information related to this case, view the following article: Former Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini sent ‘breast of the day’ emails, sexual harassment suit alleges
