Employment Attorneys vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Lawyers: Understanding Your Legal Options

Sexual abuse in the workplace is often treated as an “HR issue” or framed as a workplace dispute, even when the conduct involved is far more serious. For many people, this can make it difficult to understand where to turn, or whether what they experienced should be handled internally at all. 

While some workplace misconduct is addressed through employment law processes, sexual assault, coerced sexual contact, and abuse of power raise broader civil concerns. These experiences often have consequences that extend well beyond the workplace itself—affecting personal safety, emotional well-being, and long-term stability. 

At Rheingold Giuffra Ruffo Plotkin & Hellman LLP, we represent individuals pursuing civil sexual abuse claims, including cases involving misconduct in workplace settings. Understanding the difference between employment-law remedies and civil sexual abuse claims can help people make informed decisions about how to move forward, what accountability may look like, and which legal paths are available outside of workplace channels. 

The Limits of Employment Law When Sexual Misconduct Occurs at Work 

Workplace sexual abuse is fundamentally different from harassment or discrimination claims handled through HR processes or administrative agencies. 

Employment law addresses workplace rights such as retaliation and hostile work environments, but it is limited in its ability to remedy the personal harm caused by sexual assault, coercive sexual misconduct, or serious workplace sexual harassment. 

When sexual abuse is treated solely as an employment matter: 

• The focus shifts to company policy rather than survivor harm 

• Remedies are often limited to job-related outcomes 

• The perpetrator’s conduct may never be fully examined in court 

Sexual assault is a civil tort, giving survivors the right to pursue claims for physical, psychological, and emotional harm, as well as to hold employers or institutions liable when they fail to protect workers, ignore complaints, or enable the abuse in some way. 

Human resources departments, while sometimes necessary for internal reporting, cannot award damages, compel institutional accountability, or deliver justice through the civil court system. In many cases, HR investigations prioritize protecting the organization rather than the survivor. 

The Role of Employment Lawyers in Sexual Harassment & Assault Cases  

Employment attorneys play an important role in protecting workers’ rights. They commonly handle matters such as: 

• Hostile work environment claims 

• Sexual harassment that does not rise to assault 

• Retaliation for reporting misconduct 

• Wrongful termination 

• Wage and hour disputes 

• Administrative filings with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or state agencies 

Employment law claims are typically grounded in statutes such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and enforced through administrative processes. 

However, employment attorneys do not litigate civil sexual assault claims. Employment law remedies are generally limited and do not include compensation for pain and suffering, long-term trauma, or punitive damages. 

What Civil Sexual Abuse Lawyers Do 

Civil sexual abuse lawyers represent survivors in lawsuits focused on personal harm, accountability, and compensation.  

These cases may involve: 

• Sexual assault or rape 

• Coerced or nonconsensual sexual contact 

• Abuse by supervisors, coworkers, clients, contractors, or physicians 

• Abuse facilitated by power imbalances or institutional failures 

Civil sexual abuse lawsuits can name not only the individual perpetrator, but also employers, institutions, or organizations that failed to prevent abuse, ignored complaints, or created conditions that allowed misconduct to continue. 

As experienced NYC sexual abuse advocates, we pursue claims seeking full accountability and civil damages. Our objectives aren’t limited to internal workplace responses or administrative remedies. 

When You May Need Both Types of Attorneys 

In some situations, it is entirely appropriate—and often beneficial—for individuals to work with both an employment attorney and a civil sexual abuse lawyer. These legal paths are not mutually exclusive, and pursuing one does not mean you are doing something wrong by also pursuing the other. 

Examples include: 

• Filing an EEOC complaint for retaliation or discrimination while also pursuing a civil sexual abuse lawsuit 

• Situations where workplace harassment escalated into assault and was followed by termination, demotion, or retaliation 

• Matters involving parallel administrative proceedings and civil court litigation 

It is common for these claims to proceed on separate tracks, each serving a different purpose. Employment attorneys concentrate on protecting workplace rights under employment statutes, while civil sexual abuse lawyers focus on the abuse itself, the harm it caused, and the broader accountability of individuals and institutions. 

With proper coordination, pursuing both types of claims can help preserve all available legal remedies without weakening either case. That said, when sexual abuse has occurred, civil counsel can help address aspects of the harm that fall outside the scope of employment or administrative remedies. 

When It’s Important to Speak With a Civil Sexual Abuse Lawyer 

If what happened at work involved sexual assault, coercion, or an abuse of power, speaking with a civil sexual abuse lawyer may be an important step. This is especially true when workplace channels did not stop the conduct, or when continuing to deal with the person involved feels unsafe or overwhelming. 

Examples include situations where you were: 

• Touched, groped, kissed, or physically cornered without consent 

• Pressured into sexual contact to keep your job, advance, or avoid retaliation 

• Subjected to repeated sexual comments or demands  

• Assaulted by a supervisor, coworker, client, contractor, or someone connected to your work 

• Put in a position where refusing sexual conduct affected your schedule, evaluations, or job security 

• Made to feel unsafe because the person involved had power over your employment 

• Discouraged from reporting the conduct or led to believe it was something you had to endure 

In many cases, this behavior is not isolated. It may escalate over time or continue because complaints were ignored or minimized. Some people leave their jobs because staying feels impossible; others are pushed out after speaking up. 

Speaking with a civil sexual abuse lawyer does not require you to have everything documented or decided. It can simply help you understand whether what you experienced may be addressed through civil law, and what options exist outside of workplace or administrative processes. 

At Rheingold, we regularly speak with individuals whose experiences were dismissed or mishandled internally. Our role is to listen carefully, take what you experienced seriously, and explain what civil accountability may look like, so you can decide what comes next on your own terms.