San Francisco Real Estate Agent Sexual Abuse Lawyer

If you work as a real estate agent or realtor in San Francisco, the last thing you should have to worry about is being sexually abused at work. Unfortunately, many real estate agents are targeted by assailants and perpetrators due to risks such as unsupervised house tours. Sexual abuse against a real estate agent could range from unwanted touching and fondling to rape.

At Manly, Stewart & Finaldi, we represent victims who have suffered sexual abuse in the workplace as real estate agents or other professionals in the real estate industry in San Francisco. We understand how these cases work and have years of practice-area experience. Our law firm has recovered more than $2 billion for sexual abuse and assault clients. Contact us for a free and confidential case consultation.

How a San Francisco Real Estate Agent Sexual Harassment Attorney Can Help You

 If you have suffered sexual abuse, assault, harassment or discrimination in the workplace as a real estate agent in San Francisco, you do not have to handle a claim alone. Hiring a sexual abuse attorney can give you an edge in and out of the courtroom. Your attorney can protect your rights and best interests during negotiations with an employer or insurance company, as well as at a sexual abuse trial, if necessary.

 A law firm will have important resources and personnel to put toward your sexual abuse case, including connections to investigators and experts. This can strengthen your case and improve your odds of success. An attorney can accurately evaluate how much your claim is worth based on your losses and fight for maximum financial compensation using proven legal strategies. Meanwhile, you can focus on healing and moving forward.

California’s Definition of Sexual Abuse

According to California Penal Code Section 243.4, sexual abuse or battery means to touch the intimate part of another person while that person is unlawfully restrained, and if the touching is against the victim’s will and is for the purpose of sexual arousal, gratification or abuse. Sexual abuse may involve unwanted or nonconsensual touching, fondling, groping, kissing, penetrating, sodomy, rape, attempted rape and other sex crimes.

Why Is Sexual Abuse a Problem for Real Estate Agents?

Sexual abuse is a heinous crime that no real estate agent should have to deal with in the workplace. Sadly, it is a significant problem in this industry. The nature of the job leads to opportunities for sexual abuse. Real estate agents often find themselves alone with homeowners or prospective buyers – as well as perpetrators pretending to be interested buyers. Part of a realtor’s job is to do house showings and private tours. This can come with a risk of sexual abuse while on a vacant property alone with a sexual predator.

Real estate agents could also be targeted for sex crimes by their employers or supervisors within the real estate agency. A superior at the brokerage firm could take advantage of a real estate agent or job applicant to commit sex crimes. This includes workplace sexual harassment, such as offering a better listing in return for sexual favors, and discrimination based on a worker’s sex. Sexual harassment could escalate to sexual assault or abuse that targets workers in the real estate industry.

What Protections Do Real Estate Agents Have in California?

Sexual abuse and harassment in the workplace are specifically prohibited by laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans discrimination and harassment based on protected characteristics, including sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression and relationship status. The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) also prohibits sexual abuse against workers. Both of these laws offer protections to real estate agents and other professionals in realty. 

In addition, the National Association of Realtors’ Code of Conduct specifically prohibits workplace sexual harassment and abuse against its members, including real estate agents and real estate appraisers. Finally, California recently passed a law (Senate Bill 224) that extends the protections of FEHA to real estate agents by including them on the list of individuals who are allowed to file sexual abuse complaints involving non-employer relationships.

What to Do if You Have Been Sexually Abused as a Real Estate Agent in San Francisco

Despite multiple rules and regulations in place to protect San Francisco’s real estate agents from sexual abuse and harassment, these crimes still pervade the real estate industry. If you are a survivor of sexual abuse as a real estate agent, you do not have to suffer in silence. Take the following steps to protect yourself and uphold your legal rights:

  1. Report the incident to law enforcement. If it is an emergency or you are in imminent danger, call 911 immediately.
  2. Get prompt medical care for any injuries caused by the sexual abuse. Request a sexual assault forensic exam if you wish professionals to search for evidence of abuse.
  3. File a police report and tell the officer that you wish to press charges against the abuser, if desired.
  4. Report the person who abused you to your employer. If the real estate company does not take action against the perpetrator, file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department.
  5. Consult with a workplace sexual abuse attorney in San Francisco. An attorney can help you take legal action against an abuser and real estate agency for the harm that you have suffered.

Your employer legally cannot retaliate against you for filing a complaint regarding sexual abuse or harassment in the workplace. This means you cannot get fired or demoted for reporting your concerns. If you do suffer adverse employment action after reporting sexual abuse as a real estate agent, you may be entitled to further financial compensation from your employer.

Contact a San Francisco Real Estate Agent Sexual Abuse Lawyer Today

At Manly, Stewart & Finaldi, our San Francisco real estate sexual harassment lawyers recognize that a financial recovery is not enough to make up for a crime as damaging as sexual abuse in the workplace. However, we also know how rewarding it can be for sexual abuse survivors to hold perpetrators accountable and receive justice in the form of a fair settlement or judgment award. Our attorneys can help you hold one or more parties responsible for the life-changing crime of real estate agent sexual abuse.

To speak to a real estate agent sexual abuse attorney in San Francisco today, contact us online or call (800) 700-8450 to schedule your free case consultation. We look forward to helping you during this difficult time.