SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF A SPECIFIC LIST OF OFFENSES.

INCLUDING CREATING A INTIMIDATING AND HOSTILE WORK

ENVIRONMENT AND A THREAT FROM THE HARASSER.

HERE FOR MORE IS PATTI PEREZ WITH MORE.

PATTI, WELCOME. >> THANK YOU.

>> Peggy: TELL US ABOUT THE SPECIFIC FORMS OF HARASSMENT

DEFIND BY THE FEHA. >> THE FEHA IS THE CALIFORNIA

LAW THAT GOVERNS SEXUAL HARASSMENT.

THERE ARE TWO FORMS IF WE GO ON A DATE AND IF THERE A SEXUAL

FAVOR SOMETHING GOOD WILL HAPPEN.

IF YOU DON'T SOMETHING BAD WILL HAPPEN.

IT'S LESS COMMON BUT IT MAYBE GOING ON IN THE CURRENT STORY.

THE SECOND HARASSMENT IS HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT.

IT HAS SPECIFIC LEGAL ELEMENTS THAT YOU ARE SUBJECTED TO

UNWELCOMED BEHAVIOR THAT IS SEVERE OR PREVASIVE AND

INTERFERES WITH YOUR ABILITY TO DO YOUR JOB.

>> Peggy: IN THE PRESS CONFERENCE THIS MORNING THERE

WERE ALLEGATIONS FROM THREE WOMEN.

ONE HAPPENED ON CITY PROPERTY ALLEGEDLY.

THE OTHER TWO OFF PROPERTY AT A BREAKFAST MEETING, IN A CAR.

SO, MY QUESTION IS, IF IT DIDN'T LAP AT WORK DOES IT STILL

QUALIFY AS SEXUAL HARASSMENT? >> IT MIGHT.

THERE ARE TWO ELEMENTS HERE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE THREE

VICTIMS COMING FORWARD THROUGH THEIR ATTORNEYS AND

REPRESENTATIVES ONE IS A ACTUAL EMPLOYER.

OTHER TWO ARE CONSTITUENTS. THE CONSTITUENTS WHO MAY BRING A

LAW UNDER ANOTHER LAW WOULDN'T BRING IT UNDER THE FARE

EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING ACT PROTECTING EMPLOYEES.

THE SECOND ELEMENT IS THIS RELATED DIRECTLY ENOUGH TO WORK

TO FALL INTO WRONGFUL BEHAVIOR UNDER THE HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT

ACT. ACE GOOD LAWYER I WILL TELL YOU

THE ANSWER DEPENDS. IT DEPENDS HOW CLOSELY CONNECTED

IT WAS. IF IT OCCURRED OFF CITY PROPERTY

BUT DURING A CITY MEETING OR FUNCTION THAT SOUNDS LIKE

OFFICIAL WORK. MORE THAN LIKELY IT WOULD BE

CONSIDERED SOMETHING THAT FALLS UNDER THE MAYOR'S WORK AS MAYOR.

>> Peggy: WHAT IS INVOLVED IN MAKING A CLAIM.

MAKING A SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIM?

>> THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT WAYS OR TWO DIFFERENT LEVELS THAT

REALLY ARE AT WORK HERE. ONE IS YOU MIGHT BRING A CLAIM

INTERNALLY. THAT MAY SUBJECT THE ENTITY TO A

INTERNAL INVESTIGATION. >> Peggy: WHEN IT COMES TO THESE

CLAIMS. MAR CO GONE SELLS SAID CLAIMS

WILL BE FILED ON BE LOVE OF HIS CLIENTS.

THAT'S NOT THE SAME AS A LAWSUIT?

>> IT MIGHT BE. CLAIMS COULD BE BROUGHT

INTERNALLY PLAN DATING THE CITY TO PERFORM A INTERNAL

INVESTIGATION AND COME TO A CONCLUSION OF WRONGFUL BEHAVIOR.

IF IT'S A ATTORNEY THEY'RE LIKELY TALKING ABOUT A LEGAL

CLAIM. GOING THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF

FARE EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING, THE ENTITY THAT ENFORCES THE FEHA.

IF IT PRO FEEDS FURTHER IT GOES TO COURT.

>> Peggy: WHAT GOES INTO THE INTERNAL INVESTIGATION.

>> THE GATHERING OF EVIDENCE. CLOSE TO WHAT OCCURS IN A

LAWSUIT. INTERVIEW WITNESSES, THE PERSON

WITH THE ALLEGATIONS AND AGAINST THEM AND SOMETIMES WITNESSES,

DIRECT AND INDIRECT THAT MAY KNOW ABOUT THE CLAIMS.

>> Peggy: DONNA FRYE WAS FIERCELY DEFENSIVE PROTECTING

THESE WOMENS NAMES. WHAT EFFECT DOES A SEXUAL

HARASSMENT CLAIM OR SEXUAL HARASSMENT HAVE ON A VICTIM?

>> IT DEPENDS ON THE LEVEL AND THE VICTIM HERSELF.

IN MY EXPERIENCE WHEN THERE ARE ALLEGATIONS BROUGHT OF THIS

TYPE, IT TENDS TO HAVE A VERY SERIOUS IMPACT ON THAT PERSON'S,

USUALLY WOMAN'S PERCEPTION OF THEMSELF AT WORK.

IT MAY MANIFEST ITSELF INTO DEPRESSION, NOT ABLE TO GET THE

JOB DONE IN THE SAME WAY THEY'RE USE TO OR ANXIOUS BEHAVIOR AS A

RESULT OF BEING EXPOSED TO THIS BEHAVIOR.

>> Peggy: WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO BLAME THE VICTIMS.

WE HEARD HE SAID SHE SAID. NAMES, GIVE US NAMES.

IT SOUNDED LIKE A WITCH HUNT. BLAMING THE VICTIM, IS THAT

TYPICAL? >> IT IS.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COMES INTO PLAY, PARTICULARLY WITH A

LAWSUIT, IT HAS TO DO WITH THE ALLEGED WRONG DOER SAYING THAT'S

NOT WHAT I INTENDED. I WAS BEING PLAYFUL OR FUNNY.

IT SHIFTED INTO MAYBE THIS PERSON WAS OVERLY SENSITIVE AND

TOOK IT THE WRONG WAY. IT'S COMMON FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.

>> Peggy: OKAY. PATTERY PEREZ, THANK YOU SO

MUCH. THIS IS MORE TO THIS ON OUR

WEBSITE KPBS.ORG. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.