I was abused, harassed and discriminated against from 9/21/01 - 5/21/03 at a major entertainment company. Does anyone have any input on how to bring them down for nurtering this hostile environment?

Under federal law, a complaint must be filed within 180 days after the alleged violation. That deadline may be extended to 300 days if the charge is covered by state or local law. Since you are in California and California has its own statutes preventing discrimination, your federal deadline is 300 days. California requires that complaints are filed within one year after the violation.

If there has been no violations of discrimination laws since May 21, 2003, you have missed the deadlines. You no longer have the ability to file a complaint against the employer.

In the future and for the information of others in a similar situation, it is very important that employees register complaints and concerns as soon as possible after the violation.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks for your response. Yes I did file with the deaprftment of housing and fair employment. I got a right to sue letter and have been let go by the attorney I was working with. I want to move forward with this on a civil level if possible.

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You say you were let go by the attorney. Do you mean that the attorney has declined to represent you?

The great majority of attorneys will not take on a case where the termination wasn't for cause, even after the right to sue letter was issued. (For everyone's information, all EEOC cases are closed with a right to sue letter. The issuance of a right to sue letter is not necessarily a bad thing or a good thing for the employer or the plaintiff. The right to sue letter means that the EEOC has taken it as far as they wish to do. The employee can proceed through the court system for remedies.)

If the EEOC issued the letter with a "for cause" reason, it means that the EEOC believes that discrimination exists. If this is the situation, a person won't have any trouble in retaining an attorney to represent them. However, if there wasn't a "for cause" ruling, most attorneys will stay away from the case because the chances of winning the case is very very small.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thank you all for respondning to my situtaion regarding constant harassment for almost 2 years, ageist remarks, replaced by a younger person and badgering every day about my weight, my hair loss, my clothes, what time I come in and what time I leave, who I speak with in the halls etc... I was bothered everyday-allday and it never got better. I finally got physically sick almost bordering a heart attack. Hospitalization, high blood pressure, ulcer, depression, anxiety, panic, headaches and a very serious back problem brought on by stress resulting in nerve damage. All proved in court by workers comp attorney. I am at 44% disability and am in my mid forties. I want to and will find another job as I am too young to think of being off for life. I have been out for 19 months and hope to be working again by end of 2005. I am in physical therapy 4 days per week, psychotherapy 3 days a week, weekly visits to my primary care doctor and once a month to a heart specialist.

Should the people I work with get away with being able to behave like this?
I would certainly hope NOT. I am a gay man in a department of 12 people 4 who are also gay men under the age of 30. I am considered the "Father" and on my downside by these great young men. I will not let anyone get away with this. We all are responsible for our actions and under the name of this large famous entertainment company these people shouldn't be rewarded for this haneous behavior.

I feel deserted and with my back up against the wall.

As you may know, discrimination and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation is illegal in California.

However, I didn't get an answer to the question I had asked. Did your attorney drop you as a client? Also, what was said on your right to sue letter?