Were you sexually harassed at work in Dallas?
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
- On the trading floor it's 'locker-room talk.' It's about my body, in front of clients. The law calls it → sexual harassment (hostile work environment)
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.
Dallas workers file harassment claims with the TWC Civil Rights Division or the EEOC Dallas District Office (207 S. Houston St). General claims get 180 days; sexual harassment gets 300, and Texas covers sexual harassment at employers with just one employee. Missing a window can bar that route, act early.
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 Dallas.
- In Texas, the TWC window for a general harassment claim is 180 days, the statute orders untimely complaints dismissed, no exceptions for good stories.
- Only sexual-harassment claims get the 300-day window; a race, age, or disability claim filed on day 200 is already late.
- Texas makes you go through the agency first, filing straight in court gets the case bounced.
- Once the right-to-sue letter lands you have 60 days, and the absolute two-year outer limit keeps running regardless.
- If your employer is under 15 employees, your ONLY harassment claim may be the state sexual-harassment route (1+ employee), federal law won't reach them.
Local filing and enforcement information for Dallas 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.
- Restaurant, Prosper (DFW metro) EEOC v. Brinker International (Chili's Grill & Bar, Prosper) (N.D. Tex., Dallas Division): $75,000 consent decree (2023) over allegations that a 36-year-old employee subjected a 16-year-old coworker to vulgar sexual comments and physical contact, and that management failed to meaningfully investigate. official source ↗
These are public government enforcement actions by the EEOC, not this firm's cases. Agency and state filing routes for Dallas follow below.
Where do you file a sexual harassment claim in Dallas?
Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division
Civil Rights Division (mailing)101 E 15th Street
Austin, TX 78778
(888) 452-4778 File online →
EEOC Dallas District Office
207 S. Houston Street, 3rd FloorDallas, TX 75202
(972) 918-3580 EEOC Public Portal →
Dallas County Civil District Courts
George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building600 Commerce Street
Dallas, TX 75202
The filing path, step by step
- 1Document everything first, dates, witnesses, screenshots. Texas deadlines are short and mandatory.
- 2Sexual harassment: file with the TWC Civil Rights Division via EDISS within 300 days, or with the EEOC Dallas District Office (207 S. Houston St, 3rd Floor) within 300 days. Charges dual-file.
- 3Other harassment/discrimination: the TWC window is only 180 days.
- 4After a right-to-sue notice: 60 days for a state-law (TCHRA) suit in the Dallas County Civil District Courts (600 Commerce St); a federal Title VII suit has 90 days from the EEOC notice, in the Northern District of Texas.
Sexual-harassment information in other Texas cities
- AustinWorkplace sexual-harassment information
- El PasoWorkplace sexual-harassment information
- Fort WorthWorkplace sexual-harassment information
- HoustonWorkplace sexual-harassment information
- San AntonioWorkplace sexual-harassment information
Asked by Dallas workers.
I work at a small Dallas restaurant with 10 employees, can I still bring a sexual harassment claim?
Yes. Since September 2021, Texas covers sexual harassment at employers with one or more employees. With fewer than 15 employees, federal Title VII doesn't apply, so the state route is often the only route, and its 300-day deadline controls.
My company's HR is at headquarters out of state, who do I complain to in Dallas?
You don't need your employer's permission or presence. File with the TWC Civil Rights Division online via EDISS, or with the EEOC Dallas District Office at 207 S. Houston Street. Charges automatically dual-file between the agencies.
I missed the 180-day deadline, do I have any options for my Dallas harassment claim?
Possibly. Sexual harassment claims get 300 days at the TWC, and Title VII charges filed with the EEOC in Texas also get 300 days. An employment lawyer can check whether your facts fit the longer windows, or whether continuing-violation rules help.
How much can I recover against a big Dallas corporation?
Texas caps combined compensatory and punitive damages at $300,000 for employers over 500 employees (less for smaller ones), but back pay, interest, and equitable relief are NOT capped. Case strategy matters: an experienced lawyer evaluates which combination of state and federal claims maximizes recovery.
I'm a warehouse temp in Dallas hired through a staffing agency, who is liable for harassment?
Potentially both. Texas Labor Code Chapter 21 reaches employers and employment agencies, and dual-employer arrangements are common in DFW logistics. Don't let the agency and the client point fingers at each other, that's a legal question, not your problem to solve.
Can I go straight to court in Dallas County, or do I have to file with an agency first?
Agency first, Texas requires administrative exhaustion. You file with the TWC or EEOC, receive a right-to-sue notice, and then have 60 days to file in the Dallas County Civil District Courts or federal court.