Your employer cannot retaliate against you if you report your sexual assault through the employer’s, state’s, or federal government’s reporting mechanisms. Specifically, Title VII prohibits retaliation against employees who report or participate in the investigation of a complaint. Retaliation can be termination, reassignment of work or positions, or failure to hire.
Individual states may also prohibit retaliation. For example, in California, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act prohibits employers from retaliating against any employees who file a grievance under the Act, testify, or otherwise participate in a proceeding.