New York City Sexual Harassment Charges Lawyer

Sexual harassment charges in New York City carry consequences that extend well beyond the courtroom. A criminal accusation, a civil complaint filed with the New York State Division of Human Rights, or a parallel investigation by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission can simultaneously threaten your freedom, your career, your professional license, and your reputation in ways that are extraordinarily difficult to reverse. The line between a misunderstanding, a workplace dispute, and a criminal prosecution is one that prosecutors and plaintiff’s attorneys draw differently than you might expect, and when that line gets drawn around you, the response you put forward in the earliest days of an investigation will define everything that comes after. If you are dealing with a New York City sexual harassment charges lawyer search right now, the situation is already serious enough to warrant a precise, deliberate legal response, not a generic one.

In New York, sexual harassment can surface across multiple legal frameworks at the same time. On the criminal side, conduct labeled sexual harassment may be charged as forcible touching, sexual abuse, stalking, or aggravated harassment under the New York Penal Law. On the civil and administrative side, the New York State Human Rights Law and the New York City Human Rights Law both impose obligations on employers and individuals that are among the broadest in the country, and violations can generate civil liability, job loss, and reputational damage entirely independent of any criminal charge. What makes this especially disorienting is that the civil and criminal tracks can run simultaneously, with statements made in one proceeding potentially being used against you in another. That dynamic alone demands that any response be coordinated across all fronts from the very start.

The most important thing to understand about these cases is that the investigation often begins long before anyone tells you about it. By the time a target receives notice of a complaint, human resources has likely already conducted interviews, electronic records have been preserved, and a narrative has started to form. Acting early, and acting strategically, is the only way to interrupt that process before it hardens into something harder to fight.

How Sexual Harassment Cases Actually Move Through New York’s Legal Systems

Criminal and civil sexual harassment charges follow very different tracks in New York City, and most people who face them do not realize until too late how much those tracks interact. On the criminal side, complaints of unwanted physical contact, persistent threatening communications, or conduct that rises to the level of criminal sexual abuse are investigated by the NYPD’s Special Victims Division and prosecuted by the District Attorney’s office in the borough where the conduct allegedly occurred. Manhattan cases go to the New York County DA. Brooklyn cases to the Kings County DA. The Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island each have their own DA’s offices with their own prosecutorial cultures and charging practices. Understanding which office has your case matters, because charging decisions, plea practices, and courtroom procedures vary by office.

On the administrative side, a complainant can file with the New York State Division of Human Rights, the New York City Commission on Human Rights, or the federal EEOC. Each agency has its own intake process, investigative timelines, and remedial powers. The NYC Commission on Human Rights in particular operates under a law that is wider in scope than federal Title VII, covering employers with as few as four employees and imposing individual liability on supervisors and coworkers in certain circumstances. A finding of liability there can result in civil penalties, compensatory damages, and public findings that follow your name permanently.

If a complainant bypasses the agencies entirely and files a private civil lawsuit in New York Supreme Court, the case enters discovery, depositions, and a trial timeline that can stretch for years. Each of these channels demands a different but coordinated legal response. The sexual harassment attorney in NYC handling your matter needs to be thinking about all of them simultaneously, not just the immediate fire in front of you.

What the Law Offices of Jason Goldman Brings to These Cases

Jason Goldman began his career as a Brooklyn prosecutor, where he handled serious felony matters from investigation through verdict. That prosecutorial background is not just a credential, it is a direct window into how government agencies build cases, what evidence they prioritize, and where their strategies are most vulnerable. When the Law Offices of Jason Goldman takes on a sexual harassment matter, that investigative instinct is applied in reverse: examining the complaint, the evidence trail, the witness accounts, and the procedural record for every opening that can be used to challenge or dismantle the government’s or plaintiff’s position.

Having tried over 25 cases to verdict and represented corporate executives, physicians, attorneys, politicians, athletes, and celebrities, Mr. Goldman’s practice spans both the criminal and civil dimensions of high-stakes cases. His work covers pre-arrest investigations, trials, and sentencing and appellate proceedings. He is recognized by the New York Post, Fox 5, WABC, and Chelsea News, among others, for representation in high-profile matters, and he is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and serves on the Criminal Courts Committee of the New York City Bar Association. Beyond the courtroom, Mr. Goldman draws on a network of private investigators, forensic experts, public relations professionals, and crisis communications specialists. In sexual harassment cases, where reputation can be destroyed before a single charge is formally filed, that broader strategic capability is often as important as what happens in the courtroom itself. He has been described as “part trial lawyer, part dealmaker, part fixer,” a description that captures exactly what these cases often require.

Charges and Civil Claims That Frequently Accompany Sexual Harassment Allegations in NYC

• Forcible Touching: Under New York Penal Law, intentional and forcible touching of intimate parts without consent is a class A misdemeanor that can escalate to a felony with prior convictions or aggravating conduct; workplace or transit-related incidents in NYC are among the most common triggers for these charges.
• Sexual Abuse: Charges ranging from third-degree sexual abuse (a misdemeanor) to first-degree sexual abuse (a felony) apply when there is alleged physical contact of a sexual nature without consent, and these charges often run alongside or follow from HR investigations in corporate settings.
• Aggravated Harassment: Repeated communications or conduct intended to annoy, threaten, or alarm another person can give rise to aggravated harassment charges under the Penal Law, which prosecutors sometimes use when physical contact is absent but a pattern of alleged conduct is documented in emails, texts, or social media.
• Stalking Charges: New York’s stalking statutes cover conduct that causes fear, alarm, or substantial emotional distress; in workplace harassment scenarios, allegations of repeated unwanted contact, monitoring, or surveillance can bring these charges into play alongside civil claims.
• NYC Human Rights Law Complaints: The New York City Human Rights Law imposes individual liability on supervisors and creates one of the most expansive administrative complaint frameworks in the country; even a complaint that does not result in criminal charges can produce public findings, civil penalties, and mandatory training orders.
• Title IX Investigations: For clients affiliated with universities, hospitals, or federally funded institutions, a parallel Title IX investigation may run alongside criminal proceedings, with its own standard of evidence, its own investigative timeline, and its own consequences for employment or enrollment.
• Reputational and Media Exposure: In high-profile cases in New York City, a complaint can generate press coverage before charges are formally filed; managing the public-facing narrative through strategic communications is a distinct and necessary layer of the defense.

What to Do If You Have Been Named in a Sexual Harassment Complaint in New York City

The first and most consequential mistake people make in these situations is speaking. Whether the conversation is with HR, with a colleague, with a reporter, or with a detective who presents the inquiry as routine, every statement you make becomes part of the record. If your employer has asked you to attend a fact-finding meeting, if you have received a litigation hold letter, or if law enforcement has contacted you, you are already inside the scope of an investigation. You do not have to participate without counsel present, and you should not.

Begin preserving your own records immediately, but do not delete, alter, or selectively remove communications from any platform. Destruction of evidence can itself become a charge or an adverse inference in civil proceedings. Instead, make copies of communications that provide context or exculpatory information, document the timeline of relevant events from your own perspective, and organize any records that may be relevant to your account of what occurred.

Understand where your case is likely to be heard. Criminal complaints arising in Manhattan are prosecuted in the New York County Criminal Court or the New York State Supreme Court at 100 Centre Street, depending on the level of the charge. Brooklyn matters proceed through Kings County Criminal Court at 120 Schermerhorn Street. Civil claims under the NYC Human Rights Law are initially handled by the New York City Commission on Human Rights, located in Manhattan, with the option for a complainant to later elect to file in New York State Supreme Court instead. State Human Rights Division complaints are administered through regional offices. Federal EEOC matters can lead to federal court filings in the Southern or Eastern District of New York. Each of these venues has different procedural rules, different timelines, and different enforcement powers, and a sexual harassment attorney serving New York City needs to be tracking all of them if multiple complaints have been filed.

Do not rely on your employer’s HR process to protect you. Human resources exists to protect the institution, not the individual accused. Employer-retained attorneys conducting internal investigations represent the company. That is not a conflict of interest from their perspective, but it is a significant exposure issue from yours. Retain independent counsel before participating in any internal investigation, and understand that findings from HR investigations can be turned over to law enforcement or used in civil proceedings.

Questions New Yorkers Ask About Sexual Harassment Defense

Can someone face both criminal charges and a civil lawsuit for the same sexual harassment allegation?

Yes. In New York, criminal charges and civil claims arising from the same conduct can proceed simultaneously. A complainant can file a criminal complaint with the NYPD, file an administrative complaint with the NYC Commission on Human Rights or the NYS Division of Human Rights, and pursue a private civil lawsuit in New York Supreme Court, all based on the same alleged conduct. The criminal case will not pause the civil proceedings, and statements made in one context can surface in another. This is one of the primary reasons why a coordinated legal response across all fronts is so critical from the outset.

What is the difference between how criminal charges and civil complaints are proven?

Criminal charges require the prosecution to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Civil claims under the NYC Human Rights Law or in a private lawsuit are evaluated under a preponderance of the evidence standard, meaning more likely than not. Administrative complaints before the NYC Commission on Human Rights or the NYS Division of Human Rights use similar civil standards. This means it is entirely possible to win the criminal case and still face significant civil liability, or vice versa. The lighter burden of proof in civil matters means those proceedings are often the more likely path to a public adverse finding.

Does New York City law cover conduct that happened outside of work?

The New York City Human Rights Law and the state Human Rights Law are not limited strictly to conduct occurring on employer premises during working hours. If the conduct arises out of an employment relationship, including social events, off-site gatherings, or remote communications, it can still fall within the scope of those laws. Similarly, conduct between coworkers that affects the work environment, even if it originates outside of it, may create employer liability and individual exposure.

Can I be charged with sexual harassment crimes based solely on text messages or emails?

Yes. Digital communications have become some of the most common forms of evidence in both criminal and civil sexual harassment proceedings in New York. Prosecutors have charged aggravated harassment, stalking, and related offenses based entirely on patterns of electronic communications. In civil proceedings, text messages, emails, and social media messages are routinely produced in discovery and used as primary exhibits. The volume, frequency, and content of those communications all factor into how charges are framed and how a defense is built.

What happens if the person accusing me has a history of filing complaints against others?

Prior complaint history by a complainant may be relevant to credibility and motive, but whether and how that information can be used depends heavily on the specific proceeding. In criminal cases, New York’s rape shield laws restrict the introduction of a complainant’s prior sexual conduct, though they do not necessarily bar evidence of prior false accusations in certain circumstances. In civil proceedings, discovery may produce relevant prior complaint history. The strategy for using that information, if available and admissible, is case-specific and requires careful evaluation by a New York City sexual harassment defense attorney who understands the procedural limits of each forum.

Will my professional license be affected if I am charged with sexual harassment in New York?

For licensed professionals, including physicians, attorneys, financial advisors, and teachers, sexual harassment charges can trigger separate licensing proceedings with their own standards and consequences. The New York State Department of Education, the Appellate Division for attorney conduct, FINRA for registered representatives, and various other licensing bodies have authority to discipline or revoke licenses based on criminal charges or civil findings, sometimes even before a final verdict. Managing the licensing exposure in parallel with the primary legal proceeding is a necessary part of the defense strategy for any professional accused in New York.

What should I do if my employer fires me before any charges are formally filed?

New York is an at-will employment state, which means employers can generally terminate employment without cause. However, termination that is tied to a protected characteristic or that constitutes unlawful retaliation under state or federal law may itself generate legal claims. If you were terminated in connection with a sexual harassment investigation, the circumstances of that termination may be relevant both to your defense and to potential counterclaims. An attorney can evaluate whether the manner of termination, including the process used and the stated reasons, creates any legal exposure for the employer.

How does a pre-arrest investigation in a sexual harassment matter work?

Law enforcement does not always charge immediately after receiving a complaint. In many cases, detectives from the NYPD’s Special Victims Division will conduct an investigation that may include interviews with witnesses, subpoenas for records, and sometimes recorded communications with the target before an arrest is made. The pre-arrest phase is often when the most important decisions are made, including whether to engage proactively with prosecutors, whether to submit evidence or statements on behalf of the target, and whether to seek a declination of charges before any arrest occurs. Mr. Goldman’s practice specifically covers pre-arrest investigation representation, and clients who engage counsel during this phase are in a substantially stronger position than those who wait until charges are filed.

Can charges be dismissed if the complainant later refuses to cooperate?

It depends. In New York, prosecutorial decisions rest with the District Attorney’s office, not the complainant. Prosecutors in the New York County DA’s office and other borough offices have discretion to pursue charges even if a complainant declines to testify, particularly if there is independent corroborating evidence. In cases without strong independent corroboration, a complainant’s withdrawal of cooperation can significantly affect the prosecution’s ability to proceed, but it does not guarantee dismissal. The analysis is fact-specific and depends on the strength of the remaining evidence and the charging office’s practices.

Is it possible to resolve a sexual harassment complaint without a trial?

Yes, and for many clients, that is the preferred outcome. Criminal cases can be resolved through dismissal after investigation, declined prosecution, adjournment in contemplation of dismissal, or negotiated pleas depending on the facts and the charging office. Civil and administrative cases can often be resolved through mediation or settlement at various stages of the process. Whether a resolution short of trial is appropriate, and on what terms, depends on the strength of the defense, the potential exposure, and the client’s specific priorities around employment, licensing, and public profile. The right approach requires a candid, strategic assessment of all available paths.

Representing Clients Across New York City and the Surrounding Region

The Law Offices of Jason Goldman represents individuals facing sexual harassment charges, investigations, and civil complaints throughout New York City and the broader metropolitan region. In Manhattan, the firm serves clients in Midtown, the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side, Chelsea, Greenwich Village, Tribeca, the Financial District, Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood. In Brooklyn, representation extends across Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, Williamsburg, Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, Flatbush, Bay Ridge, and Sunset Park. The firm handles matters originating in Queens neighborhoods including Astoria, Long Island City, Flushing, Jamaica, Forest Hills, and Bayside, as well as in the Bronx communities of Riverdale, Fordham, and the South Bronx. Staten Island clients across St. George, Stapleton, and the borough’s residential communities are equally served. Beyond the five boroughs, Mr. Goldman’s practice extends to clients in Westchester, Nassau County, and Suffolk County on Long Island, and he is admitted in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York for federal matters. For cases requiring representation in other jurisdictions, pro hac vice admission is available nationwide.

New York City Sexual Harassment Defense Attorney at the Law Offices of Jason Goldman

When a sexual harassment allegation surfaces in New York City, the legal exposure is rarely contained to one proceeding. It spreads across criminal, civil, administrative, and professional licensing channels simultaneously, and the window for shaping how that exposure develops is short. The Law Offices of Jason Goldman provides representation as a New York City sexual harassment defense attorney built around exactly that reality: early, deliberate strategy across every forum where the case is active, backed by prosecutorial experience, trial capability, and the kind of discreet, high-level advocacy that high-profile and high-stakes matters require. Contact the firm today to discuss where your case stands and what a coordinated defense looks like from here.

Finally, from a criminal standpoint, many sexual harassment offenses can lead to state prosecutions, where an offender may be held accountable in criminal court Pursuant to New York Penal Law §130.52 , it is illegal for any person to forcibly touch another person’s sexual organs without permission. Even without a physical touching, New York Penal Law §240.26 prohibits repeated actions that threaten another’s well-being.