Fired for Harassment

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alexislogain

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About a month and a half ago, I had an employee come up to me and mention how he's very particular about being touched and how sometimes he's noticed I do so and that it made him uncomfortable. He said that he knew that I probably didn't realize that I was doing it and asked for me to stop. I, of course, said I did not realize it and was very sorry and made a very conscious effort to make no physical contact with him. The company we were both employed by is very sales oriented. About a month after, he made a sale that I was very excited about and touched his arm. I immediately pulled back and apologized - it happened out of relex, not out of any malicious intent.

Today I was sat down by my manager and let go from the company because of this. There has never been any disciplinary action taken nor have I been approached by any management saying that "This will get you fired." I'm not too familiar with sexual harassment laws and I do understand that he felt uncomfortable. I'm just not sure what my options. Do they legally have a right to fire me if there is no documentation about this? What do I say when I'm interviewing for other companies?
 
Do they legally have a right to fire me if there is no documentation about this? Yes.

What do I say when I'm interviewing for other companies? You need to stick to the truth and explain the circumstances, just as you have above. The worst thing that could happen is if you tell prospective employers one thing ("I resigned to pursue new opportunities") and your ex-employer tells them another story ("We fired her for sexual harassment.") Your job prospects will be zero if this occurs.
 
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