Were you sexually harassed at work in Austin?
Unwanted sexual comments, messages, touching, advances, or pressure involving your job may be unlawful. Retaliation after you objected or reported it may be unlawful too.
If your workplace rights were violated, you may be able to pursue compensation for lost pay or emotional harm, and hold your employer accountable.
Not sure whether it was "serious enough"? You can request a review even if you never reported it to HR or are still employed.
What this looks like in real life, and what the law calls it.
Sexual harassment is usually smaller, repeated, and easier to doubt than people expect. The legal test is whether unwelcome conduct tied to sex made your job hostile, it does not have to be physical or loud.
He says the comments are jokes. They're about my body, and they happen every shift.
The law calls it → sexual harassment (hostile work environment)
- My manager hinted my hours depend on how 'friendly' I am after work. The law calls it → quid pro quo sexual harassment
- The comments stopped being about work a long time ago. Now it's my body, my clothes, my dating life. The law calls it → hostile work environment based on sex
- After I turned him down, my good shifts disappeared and my reviews got worse. The law calls it → retaliation, illegal even if the original complaint isn't proven
- They didn't fire me. They just made every day bad enough that I'd quit. The law calls it → constructive discharge
- My startup's founder calls it 'Austin casual', the touching at team happy hours isn't casual to me. The law calls it → hostile work environment, off-site work events count
These cover unwelcome sexual advances or comments, quid pro quo (job tied to sexual conduct), hostile work environment based on sex, pregnancy and gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, retaliation for reporting, in any industry. If something here is familiar, you don't have to be sure before you ask.
Illustrative situations, not client accounts.
Harassment at an Austin workplace, sexual, racial, or based on any protected trait, is prohibited by Texas law. Sexual harassment is covered even at one-employee companies, and deadlines run fast: as few as 180 days for most claims (300 for sexual harassment). Document what happened, and talk to an employment lawyer before the clock runs out.
What could taking action help you pursue?
Depending on the facts, legal action may help recover financial losses, address emotional harm, restore employment opportunities, or require workplace changes. Available remedies depend on the facts and applicable law; no outcome is guaranteed.
Recover what you lost
Lost pay, benefits, hours, and employment opportunities tied to the unlawful conduct.
Address the harm
Compensation for emotional distress may be available where the law provides for it.
Restore an opportunity
Some cases may involve reinstatement, promotion, corrected records, or another job-related remedy.
Create accountability
A resolution may include policy changes, training, or other corrective workplace action.
You do not need a perfect record, or even to know whether what happened was illegal, before asking what your options are.
Common concerns we hear from employees
I never reported it to HR.
You may still have legal options. Not reporting immediately does not automatically end your rights, although the specific facts can affect a claim.
I don't have screenshots or witnesses.
You do not need a complete evidence file before contacting us. We can help identify texts, emails, schedules, witnesses, and other evidence that may matter.
I still work there.
You can ask questions while still employed. Retaliating against a worker for opposing unlawful conduct or asserting protected rights may itself be unlawful.
It was a customer or client, not a coworker.
In some circumstances, an employer may be responsible for the conduct of supervisors, coworkers, customers, clients, or other third parties.
Craig J. Ackermann
Shareholder · Admitted in Texas
Craig Ackermann represents Texas employees in harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and wage matters. He is licensed in California, Washington, and Texas.
Read Craig's full bio →Real verdicts and recoveries in harassment and discrimination cases.
$23.5 million
150 women · Sexual harassment (multi-plaintiff)
$1 million
a group of women · Sexual harassment (multi-plaintiff)
$15 million
1 plaintiff · Gender pay & promotion discrimination, jury verdict (punitive damages under federal + Oregon law)
Jury verdict, subject to post-trial proceedings. Not a settlement or a collected recovery.
$1.3 million
19 Black construction workers · Racial harassment (hostile work environment)
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
What happens after you reach out?
You don't need documents, a lawyer-ready story, or even certainty that what happened was illegal.
- 01
Talk with us
A short initial conversation about what happened and when.
- 02
We assess the record
We identify possible claims, deadlines and evidence that may matter.
- 03
If we take the case
We handle the filing strategy, negotiations and litigation.
Deadlines can depend on where and how you file
Texas and federal claims may follow different filing routes. These are general time limits, not sequential steps.
Generally, to file a sexual-harassment complaint with the Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division.
Texas Labor Code ch. 21 ↗Often, to file an EEOC charge when the claim is also covered by state or local anti-discrimination law.
EEOC, How to File a Charge ↗Generally, to file a lawsuit after receiving a TWC right-to-sue notice.
Texas Labor Code ch. 21 ↗Other claims and exceptions may have different or shorter deadlines. Contact counsel promptly so the applicable dates can be reviewed.
Texas Labor Code Chapter 21, "Employment Discrimination" (commonly known as the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act / TCHRA)
Tex. Lab. Code Ann. ch. 21
Primary source, Tex. Lab. Code Ann. ch. 21 ↗Share what happened in about two minutes. The firm will review your submission and contact you about possible options and next steps. There is no cost or obligation to request a review.
Deadlines and filing issues for workers in Austin.
- Texas general harassment claims get only 180 days at the TWC, among the shortest windows in the country. Untimely complaints SHALL be dismissed (the statute is mandatory).
- Sexual harassment gets 300 days, but only because of a 2021 law (HB 21); don't assume the longer window applies to race/age/disability claims.
- Administrative exhaustion is REQUIRED in Texas, you cannot go straight to court.
- After the right-to-sue letter: just 60 days to sue, and never later than 2 years after the original complaint.
- Austin's city ordinance has its own clock, confirm it with the city office before relying on it.
Local filing and enforcement information for Austin workers.
The sources below are public agency actions and filing information, not this firm's cases. They illustrate how claims have been handled and do not predict the outcome of another matter.
- Race / national origin EEOC v. Austin Foam Plastics (W.D. Tex., Austin Division): $600,000 settlement (October 2010) of a suit alleging African-American employees were subjected to racially offensive comments, jokes, and images that denigrated them, part of a combined harassment case in which the EEOC also alleged sexual harassment and the firing of a worker who complained. official source ↗
- Auto sales EEOC v. South Austin Nissan (filed Dec. 2023, W.D. Tex. Austin Division): the EEOC alleged managers regularly touched or attempted to touch female employees and told saleswomen to "show more, sell more", and that complaints to HR and the COO produced no action. official source ↗
- Horticulture & nursery Altman Specialty Plants agreed to pay $172,000 (July 2024) to conciliate EEOC findings that a supervisor sexually harassed female employees at its Austin location "for an extensive period," with retaliation against those who complained. official source ↗
- Statewide, every industry Texas workers filed 6,990 EEOC charges in FY 2022, about 9.5% of all charges in the country. Retaliation appeared in 58% of Texas charges. official source ↗
These are public government enforcement actions by the EEOC, not this firm's cases. Agency and state filing routes for Austin follow below.
Where do you file a sexual harassment claim in Austin?
Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division
Civil Rights Division (mailing)101 E 15th Street
Austin, TX 78778
(888) 452-4778 File online →
EEOC San Antonio Field Office
There is no EEOC office in Austin, Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, and Caldwell counties are served by the San Antonio Field Office. Most Austinites file online via the EEOC Public Portal.
Legacy Oaks, Building A, 5410 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 200San Antonio, TX 78229
1-800-669-4000 EEOC Public Portal →
Travis County Civil District Courts
Travis County Civil & Family Courts Facility1700 Guadalupe Street
Austin, TX 78701
Federal (Title VII): U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas, Austin Division
City of Austin Civil Rights Division (Office of Equity and Inclusion)
Austin has its own civil rights office (created 2020) enforcing the city's anti-discrimination ordinance (City Code Ch. 5-3). Its main value: broader protected classes (Austin codified sexual orientation and gender identity protections before state law) and a local venue. Note: per the city’s complaint form, city complaints follow a 180-day window (300 days for sexual harassment), confirm current rules with the office.
(512) 974-3251The filing path, step by step
- 1Document everything first, dates, times, witnesses, screenshots, texts. Texas's deadlines are short and mandatory.
- 2Sexual harassment: file with the TWC Civil Rights Division (headquartered in Austin at 101 E 15th St) via EDISS within 300 days, or with the EEOC within 300 days. Charges dual-file between the two.
- 3Other harassment/discrimination (race, age, disability, religion, national origin): the TWC window is only 180 days.
- 4City option: Austin's Civil Rights Division (512-974-3251), broader protected classes; per the city's complaint form, 180 days (300 for sexual harassment).
- 5After a right-to-sue notice: 60 days to file a state-law (TCHRA) suit in the Travis County Civil District Courts (1700 Guadalupe St); a federal Title VII suit has 90 days from the EEOC notice, filed in the W.D. Tex. Austin Division (501 W 5th St).
Sexual-harassment information in other Texas cities
- DallasWorkplace sexual-harassment information
- El PasoWorkplace sexual-harassment information
- Fort WorthWorkplace sexual-harassment information
- HoustonWorkplace sexual-harassment information
- San AntonioWorkplace sexual-harassment information
Asked by Austin workers.
I work at a tech startup in Austin with 8 employees, am I covered for sexual harassment?
Yes. Since September 1, 2021, Texas Labor Code §21.141 covers sexual harassment at employers with one or more employees. Federal Title VII still requires 15+, but the state claim stands on its own, this matters enormously in Austin's startup economy, where most early-stage companies are under 15 people.
Can I sue my manager personally for sexual harassment in Texas?
Possibly. Texas's sexual harassment law defines "employer" to include anyone who "acts directly in the interests of an employer in relation to an employee", language that has been read to expose individual managers, owners, and HR personnel to potential liability. This is unusual; most employment laws only reach the company.
How long do I have to file if I was harassed at an Austin bar or music venue?
300 days with the TWC Civil Rights Division for sexual harassment; only 180 days for other kinds of harassment or discrimination. High-turnover hospitality workers often run out the clock without realizing it, if it happened during SXSW or a festival season, count carefully.
I work for the State of Texas at the Capitol complex, how do I file a harassment complaint?
State agencies are covered by Texas Labor Code Chapter 21 regardless of how many people they employ. You file with the TWC Civil Rights Division (its headquarters is blocks from the Capitol at 101 E 15th St) or the EEOC. One caveat: punitive damages aren't available against governmental entities.
Does harassment by SXSW attendees, clients, or vendors count?
It can. Texas law makes the employer liable where it knows or should have known of sexual harassment and "fails to take immediate and appropriate corrective action", the harasser doesn't need to be a coworker. Event and hospitality settings are recognized EEOC risk environments.
Where is the EEOC office for Austin?
There isn't one in Austin. Travis County is served by the San Antonio Field Office (5410 Fredericksburg Rd). In practice, most people file online through the EEOC Public Portal or with the TWC Civil Rights Division here in Austin, charges automatically dual-file between the two agencies.
I reported harassment and got cut from the schedule, is that retaliation?
It may be. Texas Labor Code §21.055 makes it unlawful to retaliate against anyone who opposes a discriminatory practice, files a charge or complaint, or participates in an investigation, and retaliation is independently unlawful even if the underlying harassment claim isn't ultimately proven, as long as your report was in good faith.
What can I actually recover in a Texas harassment case?
Back pay and equitable relief (not federally capped), plus compensatory and punitive damages capped by employer size: $50,000 for employers under 101 employees up to $300,000 for employers over 500. Texas's caps make case strategy matter, an experienced employment lawyer will evaluate whether federal claims, state claims, or both maximize your recovery.