Workplace Harassment Lawyers for San Antonio Workers
Harassment at work — sexual, racial, or based on any protected trait — is illegal. And Texas may give you as little as 300 days to act. How deadlines work ↓
Protected at work
$23.5M
Settlement · 150 women · sexual harassment
$15M
Jury verdict · Hender v. Nike · gender pay discrimination · 2026
Prior results don't guarantee a similar outcome.
Reviewed by Craig J. Ackermann, admitted in Texas · Bar No. 24001620
San Antonio workers file harassment claims with the TWC Civil Rights Division or the EEOC's San Antonio Field Office on Fredericksburg Road. General claims get 180 days, sexual harassment 300 — and since 2021, Texas covers sexual harassment even at one-employee businesses. Civilian military contractors follow this track too; uniformed service members don't.
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 banquet manager says guests 'expect friendly.' What the guests do isn't friendly. The law calls it → non-employee harassment the employer must address
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.
What happens after you reach out?
You don't need documents, a lawyer-ready story, or even certainty that what happened was illegal. Here's the whole process — and what we handle for you at each step.
- A free, confidential consultation. Usually 15 minutes. You tell us what happened; we tell you honestly whether you may have a case and which deadlines apply to you. If we're not the right fit, we say so.
- We build the record. We help you preserve what matters — texts, emails, schedules, reviews, witness names — and identify your available claims under Texas and federal law.
- We handle the filings. Agency complaints have strict formats and unforgiving deadlines. We draft and file with the right agency — state, federal, or both — so nothing lapses while you keep living your life.
- We negotiate from strength. Most matters resolve without a trial — through demand letters and negotiated settlements covering lost pay, emotional distress, and — where negotiable — terms addressing references and future employment.
- If they won't make it right, we litigate. We've taken cases to trial when employers won't make it right. Ask us how fees and case costs work before you decide anything.
How long do you have to file a sexual harassment claim in San Antonio?
The controlling clock is 300 days — to file a sexual-harassment claim with the twc. Every route has its own deadline, and they start from different events:
Texas sexual harassment filing deadlines · last reviewed 2026-06-10
- To file a sexual-harassment claim with the TWC 300 days
180 days for general discrimination/harassment (Sec. 21.202(a)); 300 days for SEXUAL HARASSMENT (Sec. 21.202(a-1), added by HB 21, eff. Sept. 1, 2021). Untimely complaints SHALL be dismissed (Sec. 21.202(b)).
Tex. Lab. Code Ann. ch. 21 - To file with the federal EEOC 300 days
300 days for Title VII claims (Texas is a deferral state — TWC Civil Rights Division is the state FEPA)
eeoc.gov - To sue after the state clears you 60 days
60 days from right-to-sue notice (Sec. 21.254); TWC must notify complainant if unresolved at 180 days (Sec. 21.208)
Tex. Lab. Code Ann. ch. 21
| Route | Deadline | The fine print | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| To file a sexual-harassment claim with the TWC | 300 days | 180 days for general discrimination/harassment (Sec. 21.202(a)); 300 days for SEXUAL HARASSMENT (Sec. 21.202(a-1), added by HB 21, eff. Sept. 1, 2021). Untimely complaints SHALL be dismissed (Sec. 21.202(b)). | Tex. Lab. Code Ann. ch. 21 |
| To file with the federal EEOC | 300 days | 300 days for Title VII claims (Texas is a deferral state — TWC Civil Rights Division is the state FEPA) | eeoc.gov |
| To sue after the state clears you | 60 days | 60 days from right-to-sue notice (Sec. 21.254); TWC must notify complainant if unresolved at 180 days (Sec. 21.208) | Tex. Lab. Code Ann. ch. 21 |
Texas Labor Code Chapter 21, "Employment Discrimination" (commonly known as the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act / TCHRA)
Tex. Lab. Code Ann. ch. 21
Covers sexual harassment claims at employers with one or more employees — even the smallest employers (since Sept. 2021).
Full Texas sexual harassment law: deadlines, damages & agencies →What mistakes end San Antonio cases before they start?
- The 180-day TWC clock on general claims is mandatory in Texas — miss it and the agency must dismiss.
- Civilian DoD employees at JBSA have just 45 DAYS to contact an agency EEO counselor — the shortest deadline on this page, and the most missed.
- Don't borrow the 300-day sexual-harassment window for other claims — they run out at 180.
- Court comes after the agency in Texas, never instead of it.
- From the right-to-sue notice you get 60 days to file suit, inside an overall two-year ceiling.
Where do sexual harassment claims arise in San Antonio?
The law protects workers across industries — and these are real, public enforcement actions in and around San Antonio, not hypotheticals. San Antonio's signature industries — hospitality, defense contracting, healthcare, and call centers — each carry recognized EEOC harassment risk factors.
- Emergency medical services — San Antonio EEOC v. Lone Star Ambulance (W.D. Tex., San Antonio Division): $90,000 five-year consent decree (2022) over allegations that executives and supervisors subjected two female employees to verbal harassment, unwanted sexual touching, and forced submission to sex as a condition of employment. source ↗
These are government enforcement actions by the EEOC — not this firm's cases. They show how the law is enforced locally; results vary with the facts.
Where do you file a sexual harassment claim in San Antonio?
State · TWC CRDTexas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division
Federal · EEOCEEOC San Antonio Field Office
San Antonio, TX 78229
1-800-669-4000
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday EEOC Public Portal →
CourtBexar County Civil District Courts
100 Dolorosa
San Antonio, TX 78205
(210) 335-2300
The filing path, step by step
- Document everything — dates, witnesses, screenshots, schedules. Texas deadlines are mandatory.
- Sexual harassment: file with the TWC Civil Rights Division via EDISS within 300 days, or with the EEOC San Antonio Field Office (5410 Fredericksburg Rd) within 300 days. Charges dual-file.
- Other harassment/discrimination: 180 days at the TWC.
- Civilian federal (DoD) employees at JBSA: a completely different track — contact your agency EEO counselor within 45 days.
- After a right-to-sue notice: 60 days for a state-law suit at the Bexar County Courthouse (100 Dolorosa); a federal Title VII suit has 90 days from the EEOC notice, in the Western District of Texas.
Real verdicts and recoveries in workplace harassment and discrimination cases.
$23.5 million
150 women · Sexual harassment (multi-plaintiff)
Financial services / brokerage · early 2000s
$1 million
a group of women · Sexual harassment (multi-plaintiff)
Shipping / logistics · 2022
$319,000
1 plaintiff · Title VII sexual harassment + retaliation (won at trial AND on Ninth Circuit appeal)
Janitorial / contract services · 2012
$15 million
1 plaintiff · Gender pay & promotion discrimination — jury verdict (punitive damages under federal + Oregon law)
Athletic apparel · 2026
Dozens of additional sexual harassment matters resolved in the $100,000–$400,000 range.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
The attorney behind this page.
You'll talk to real people at our firm — not a call center. This page is reviewed by an attorney licensed in Texas.
Craig J. Ackermann
TEXAS BAR NO. 24001620
Craig Ackermann focuses on sexual and racial harassment cases, with more than two decades of employment law and class action experience.
Full bio →Our firm represents employees in San Antonio through attorneys licensed in Texas. We maintain physical offices in Beverly Hills, California and Tacoma, Washington. We do not maintain a physical office in San Antonio unless expressly stated. Consultations may be available by phone, video, or by arrangement. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Also from our San Antonio team
Facing workplace discrimination instead — or both? San Antonio employment discrimination guide →
Asked by San Antonio workers.
I'm a civilian contractor at JBSA-Lackland being harassed — do Texas laws protect me?
If you work for a private contractor, yes — Texas Labor Code Chapter 21 and Title VII both apply, with the standard 180/300-day windows. If you're a civilian federal (DoD) employee, your track is different: you must contact your agency's EEO counselor within 45 days. Uniformed service members follow the military Equal Opportunity process.
I work at a small River Walk restaurant with 5 employees — can I file a sexual harassment complaint?
Yes. Since September 2021, Texas covers sexual harassment at employers with one or more employees — and you have 300 days to file with the TWC. This matters enormously in hospitality, where small operators are the norm.
Where do I file an EEOC charge in San Antonio?
The San Antonio Field Office at Legacy Oaks, Building A, 5410 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 200 — or online via the EEOC Public Portal, which most people use. The office also covers Austin and most of South-Central Texas.
My hospital employer 'investigated' my harassment complaint and did nothing — what now?
Texas law requires 'immediate and appropriate corrective action' once an employer knows or should have known of sexual harassment — a standard Texas courts have treated as demanding. An investigation that changes nothing may itself be the unlawful practice. Document the timeline and talk to a lawyer.
Can I be fired for reporting my supervisor at a San Antonio call center?
Under Texas Labor Code §21.055, punishing someone for reporting is its own violation — you don't have to win the underlying harassment claim, only to have raised it in good faith. On a base or in a plant, that punishment often looks like a sudden demotion, a shift change, or a write-up right after you spoke up.
What court would my harassment lawsuit be filed in?
State claims go to the Bexar County Civil District Courts at the Bexar County Courthouse, 100 Dolorosa. Federal Title VII claims go to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Which court — and which claims — is a strategy decision your lawyer makes with you.
Talk to a team that has stood up for workers for decades.
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