Being accused of a crime is something no one wants in their life. To face the scrutiny and judgement of friends, family, colleagues and strangers is an absolute nightmare. But imagine if this happened, and you were the boss or CEO of a company. Imagine being accused of sexual misconduct and the myriad of problems that come along with that.
Just because you are the boss, doesn’t mean you have to fall on your sword or that you have no rights. You have the same rights as anyone else in that situation, period. As such, if you live in the Tampa area and find yourself accused, then you should seek out a Tampa criminal lawyer to help you build your case.
What are my options if I am accused of sexual harassment and I am the CEO
It’s important to realize that your position in the company does not negate your rights all your options as a person accused of sexual harassment. As such, these are your options if you have been accused of such a crime.
You have the right to a full investigation
Many accusers will use such accusations as a way to get someone out the door. Due to the nature of sexual harassment, it can leave a stain on a person’s record even if they were innocent of the crimes accused. As such if you are accused of such crimes then it is your right to ask for a full investigation to be completed in the workplace to ascertain when you were supposed to have committed these crimes and who if anyone witnessed them.
If you cannot find any proof that the sexual harassment took place, then you as the accused have the right to sue your accuser for slander or defamation of character. But bear in mind, this is a civil action and can be long and drawn-out. Make sure that you have evidence to support your slander claim and make sure that you are prepared for any kind of suits that may be brought against you by your accuser.
It is important to realize that sexual harassment is not just about two parties. If you and making lewd jokes and another person overhears it and gets offended, that is considered sexual harassment. So it is important to mind what to say in the workplace in the wake of the me-too movement and other issues that have been exasperated by the media.
If the accusation of your accuser is founded – or there is enough evidence to go to trial- then you need to build a case for your defense. you and your lawyer will ask for any evidence that the prosecution has and build a case on that evidence. You should also at this time build a list of character witnesses for your defense and hire a private investigator to make sure of all the accusations of your accuser. It is not wrong to dig up dirt on your accuser as this helps you build a case against them for potential defamation of character.
While going through the case, you should not step down from your position at all and remember you are innocent until proven guilty. If your employer tries to remove you from your job, even temporarily, they are breaking the law and you must contact your lawyer immediately.
Depending on how your case goes, and if you are found to be in the wrong, you may have to pay out large sums of money in legal fees or worse, see the inside of a jail cell. There are many famous people facing charges right now and Harvey Weinstein was just sentenced to 23 years behind bars for his part of the culture of sexual misconduct that has plagued Hollywood since Fatty Arbuckle committed his sex related crime in the 1920s.
The Takeaway
Anyone can be accused of sexual harassment. In the wake of the Me-Too movement, people are leaving top-level positions in droves. The media is not helping this and one wonders how many of these accusations are actually founded. Not to mention with the statute of limitations many of the accused were not under any obligation to face charges or even stand down from their positions. There is immense pressure to do the right thing, but sometimes the right thing is standing up for yourself as an accused person, no matter the tone of society at present. Remember if you are in need of a defense then call a Tampa criminal lawyer today