(412) 212-6465

Washington County Workplace Sexual Assault Lawyer

If something happened to you at work in Washington, Canonsburg, Peters Township, or elsewhere in Washington County, you’re not on anyone’s timeline but your own and you don’t owe anyone an explanation until you are ready.

Natural gas and energy services jobs, often on remote sites far from any coworker or supervisor. Hospitality and gaming work with late night shifts, also face the same risks in a different setting.

These fields are a big part of this county’s economy, and rely on workers to safely contribute. Whatever happened, however long ago, in whatever industry, you still have options worth hearing about. Kennedy Law is here to walk you through those when you are ready.

Call today: (412) 212-6465

Workplace Sexual Assault in Washington County

The way some job environments are structured allow more opportunities for assault to happen in the workplace and go unreported.

Energy and field service work can mean a remote well pad, a crew far from any HR presence, or out of town lodging with coworkers that you don’t know very well, all of these scenarios occur with little oversight nearby. Contractor and staffing agency arrangements can add another layer to this already complicated environment. 

This can look like: a worker who isn’t sure who to report to, or who fears losing an assignment entirely if they speak up.

In the county’s casino, racetrack, and hospitality scene, the late night shifts, alcohol, and close contact with many different guests create their own risks, from coworkers, supervisors, or customers alike. A remote site, a hotel, or a casino floor doesn’t make what happened less worth reporting.

How Workplace Sexual Assault Claims Differ From Harassment Claims

Assault and harassment claims aren’t handled the same way, and a few distinctions matter early on.

A civil claim against your employer can proceed regardless of whether the person who assaulted you is ever charged criminally, or convicted. Those are two different systems, on two different timelines, and neither one waits for the other.

You may have a claim against more than one party, potentially the individual involved, the company directing your work, and a staffing agency if one was involved, depending on who knew what and when they knew.

Pennsylvania doesn’t have a singular law written specifically for workplace sexual assault. These claims tend to draw on a mix of anti-discrimination law, employer-negligence principles, and sometimes separate claims altogether against the individual.

Attorney Nick Kennedy and the team at Kennedy Law can help you understand which of these apply to your specific situation, including how joint-employer questions might affect your case.

Washington County Workplace Sexual Assault Lawyer

Where Washington County Cases Are Filed

Whether you are a direct hire or placed through a staffing agency, a civil claim that is connected to what happened is usually filed in the Washington County Court of Common Pleas, at the Washington County Courthouse, which is located at 1 South Main Street, Washington, PA 15301.

If there is a discrimination aspect to your case, this claim will not run through the local Washington County court system. It will go through the following: the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Pittsburgh Area Office at the William S. Moorhead Federal Building, which sits at 1000 Liberty Avenue, Suite 1112, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission’s Pittsburgh Regional Office, which is located at 301 Fifth Avenue, Suite 390, Piatt Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or a federal court process based in Pittsburgh.

Support Resources Right Now

In Washington and Greene counties:

A lawyer doesn’t have to be the first call that you make. Both of these resources listed above are free, confidential, and available at any time, regardless of whether you ever bring forth a legal claim.

Retaliation After Reporting

Retaliating against you for reporting an assault, whether to your employer, a staffing agency, police, or a lawyer, is against the law.

Retaliation in this industry often looks like a canceled assignment or a schedule that quietly dries up, rather than an outright firing.

An assignment shouldn’t be the reason that you are staying quiet.

What to Do Now

There’s no single right way to respond to this, but a few things can help protect your options:

  1. Get medical care if you need it, whether or not reporting is something you’ve decided on. Hospitals can loop in a victim advocate if you want one.
  2. Reach out to a support resource, like the S.T.T.A.R.S. program or the National Sexual Assault Hotline, if you want to talk before deciding anything else.
  3. When you’re able, note down what happened: dates, the site or location, and anyone who might have seen or heard something.
  4. There’s time to weigh your reporting options. A police report and a civil claim run independently, so you can pursue either, both, or neither right away.
  5. Don’t sign anything, including a new assignment waiver or a severance agreement, until you’ve talked to a lawyer.
  6. Don’t let too much time pass. Several deadlines can apply depending on the claim, and some are shorter than expected.

Why Washington County Survivors Choose Kennedy Law

When you call our office in Pittsburgh, you will speak directly with our team, not a call center who is unfamiliar with your industry. Attorney Nick Kennedy is dedicated to the people that make up the local workforce and belongs to the Western Pennsylvania Employment Lawyers Association (WPELA), an organization that is dedicated to promoting employee rights and working with lawyers in the area who advocate for equality.

Kennedy Law represents employees across Western Pennsylvania, including Allegheny, Westmoreland, Washington, Butler, Beaver, and Erie counties, and understands the staffing agency and joint-employer questions that come up in this county’s workforce.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. A civil claim runs independently of any police report or criminal charges, so you can pursue one without the other.

Potentially both the staffing agency and the company directing your work on-site, depending on what each one knew and what control each had. This is a common and important question in Washington County’s energy and industrial workforce.

Not necessarily. Deadlines vary by claim type, and some may still apply even after time has passed. A conversation can clarify where you stand.

Yes. Reaching out is not a commitment. Many people start with a conversation just to learn their options.

You Have Time to Decide

If something happened to you at work in Washington, Canonsburg, Peters Township, or anywhere in Washington County, you don’t have to figure out what to do next by yourself.

Kennedy Law is here for you and ready to jump in whenever you are, on your own time and schedule.

Call (412) 212-6465 for a free, confidential consultation.