According to statistics that were summarized by a major source of entertainment media, the outing and subsequent legal troubles of the major movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has led to a spike in the number of sexual harassment claims regulatory authorities in California have received of late.
On the federal level, it is too early to tell how much impact the Weinstein effect has had on sexual harassment claims being filed.
However, according to the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which oversees sexual harassment claims filed on the state level, the number of sexual harassment claims almost doubled in the same three-month period.
Specifically, between the first three months of 2017, California regulators received just over 500 complaints. In the same period of time in 2018, that number was just a hair under 940. Other states also reported similar increases.
Lawyers in the state who handle these types of claims have, at least anecdotally, have also reported consulting with more alleged victims, and filing more claims on their behalf, than they have had in the past. One lawyer described what she has been experiencing as the case of victims finally bringing older allegations to light.
The full extent of the Weinstein effect on sexual harassment claims in this state may take years to sort out. Be that as it may, the early statistics, at least in California, suggest take down of this major Hollywood figure has inspired others to come forward with their claims. If anything, the story illustrates that, while justice at times seems to move too slowly, there are remedies available for victims of sexual harassment.