Illiois Extends Sexual Harassment Protections

Illinois Protecting Interns From Sexual Harassment

By Zach Schonfeld

Filed: 9/5/14 at 10:28 AM  | Updated: 9/5/14 at 11:12 AM

Illinois Is Now One of the Only States Protecting Interns From Sexual Harassment

By Zach Schonfeld

Filed: 9/5/14 at 10:28 AM  | Updated: 9/5/14 at 11:12 AM

Democratic Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois makes remarks during a "Growth and Jobs in America" discussion at the National Governors Association’s Winter Meeting in Washington on February 23, 2014. Mike Theiler/Reuters

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Illinois has become one of the only states to pass legislation protecting unpaid interns from sexual harassment in the workplace.

A new bill, signed into law last week by Governor Patrick Quinn, amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to include “unpaid intern” in its definition of an “employee.” That gives unpaid workers legal recourse to file suit in instances of sexual harassment or discrimination—a right they could otherwise be legally denied in favor of paid employees.

“Because unpaid internships are a widespread form of employment for young professionals, it is bewildering to think that laws in Illinois do not protect the unpaid intern,” wrote state Representative Maria A. Berrios in a statement provided to Newsweek. “Every person has the right to feel safe and secure in their workplace, and with this new law, unpaid interns will have the same protections as other employees to seek justice in cases of sexual harassment.

http://goo.gl/i40gJw

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Lawyer’s suspension includes lifetime ban on representing women

By Debra Cassens Weiss

Aug 6, 2014, 08:14 am CDT

A Connecticut lawyer has been suspended for four months and barred from representing female clients for the rest of his career after he was accused of representing women in family law and domestic-violence cases in violation of a 2010 court order.

The disciplinary counsel had initially sought disbarment for lawyer Ira Mayo, alleging he had violated the court order at least 11 times, the Connecticut Law Tribune reports. Mayo agreed to the suspension and ban on representing women to resolve the disciplinary complaint.

Mayo was accused in two prior ethics cases, according to the Connecticut Law Tribune. In the first he was suspended for 15 months after he was accused of making unwanted advances to female clients referred to him by a group for abused women, the story says. In the second, he was banned from representing women in family law or domestic violence cases after he was accused of offering to waive attorney fees in exchange for a massage.

http://goo.gl/KgTYdV

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