debra katz, a d.c.-based attorney who specializes in sexual harassment

by Kaleb Raynor 8 min read

What kind of lawyer does Debra Katz have?

FYI, the attorney representing the anonymous source (Debra Katz) is an extremely well respected DC employment lawyer (worker’s rights, ADA accommodations, whistleblowers, sexual harassment etc.). Extremely smart, skilled, and serious about protecting workers from abuses of power.

Who is Christine Blasey Ford's attorney Debra Katz?

Good Morning America Debra Katz is a high profile attorney known for her involvement in the #MeToo movement who represents Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who filed a claim against Brett Kavanaugh.

Who is Debra Katz on Good Morning America?

Debra Katz, #MeToo Attorney: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. Good Morning America Debra Katz is a high profile attorney known for her involvement in the #MeToo movement who represents Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who filed a claim against Brett Kavanaugh.

Who are Debra Katz and Carolyn Wheeler?

Debra Katz, Carolyn Wheeler and Joseph Abboud represented members of a student feminist group at the University of Mary Washington who were subjected to online harassment and threats.

What did Lisa Banks and Katz claim?

Katz and Lisa Banks brought a Title IX claim on behalf of a graduate student at the University of Colorado alleging retaliation. Katz, Marshall & Banks alleged that CU-Boulder violated Title IX by exposing the student to a sexually hostile academic environment and to retaliation by a tenured Professor in the Department after her Title IX claims were validated by the University's Office of Discrimination and Harassment. The case settled for $850,000 plus various non-monetary provisions, including a public statement from the University Chancellor stating that settling the claims was "the right thing to do."

Why did Katz defeat the motion for a protective order filed by the defendant?

In a whistleblower case brought under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Katz successfully defeated a motion for a protective order filed by the defendant to prevent the plaintiff from deposing Biogen Idec's CEO, James Mullen. Mr. Blanton alleged that the Boston-based pharmaceutical fired its chief reimbursement expert in retaliation for complaints about illegal kickbacks to physicians.

What court case ruled that university officials had an obligation to protect students against online sexual harassment?

In December 2018, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that university officials had an obligation to proactively protect the students against online sexual harassment, and that such action would not infringe any student's free speech rights.

Who was the hairdresser for Laura Bush?

A jury in the District Court for the District of Columbia awarded Ronnie Barrett $300,000 in compensatory damages and $2 million in punitive damages in her sexual harassment and retaliation suit against Andre Chreky and the Andre Chreky Salon, one of the top-rated salons in Washington, D.C. Mr. Chreky was the hairdresser to former First Lady Laura Bush. Barrett was a former hair colorist at the salon.

Who is Chloe Caras?

Chloe Caras. Katz represented Chloe Caras, a former Director of Operations for Isabella Eatery in her sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against celebrity chef Mike Isabella, Mike Isabella Concepts, and four of his business partners. The lawsuit was settled in May 2018.

Who is Debra Katz?

Good Morning America Debra Katz is a high profile attorney known for her involvement in the #MeToo movement who represents Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who filed a claim against Brett Kavanaugh.

Who is the anonymous source attorney?

FYI, the attorney representing the anonymous source (Debra Katz) is an extremely well respected DC employment lawyer (worker’s rights, ADA accommodations, whistleblowers, sexual harassment etc.). Extremely smart, skilled, and serious about protecting workers from abuses of power.

Who is the woman represented by Brett Kavanaugh?

The woman is reportedly being represented now by Debra Katz, a whistleblower attorney who works w/ Me Too survivors. pic.twitter.com/ucSgR12kRl

Who is the attorney for Brett Kavanaugh?

"Most victims of sexual assault and sexual violence never come forward," Debra Katz, the attorney for Brett Kavanaugh's accuser Christine Blasey Ford tells @GMA. "She came forward when she believed that it was her civic duty to alert her representative" https://t.co/Lc7Pd2mUrd pic.twitter.com/J6xuXdvPA6

About Debra

" My father says that I was born arguing about fairness and social justice issues, and that attending law school was just a formality.

Resume

Ms. Katz and her team are the epitome of expertise in the employment law field. She was professional, intelligent and caring the entire time she worked on my case. If you need help with an employment law situation, and want someone well respected by their fellow attorneys, look no further than Debra Katz.

What was hostile environment sexual harassment?

There was hostile environment sexual harassment where the plaintiff, who previously had a consensual sexual relationship with her supervisor, suffered from a hostile work environment after the termination of their relationship. Green v. Administrators of the Tulane Educ. Fund, 284 F.3d 642 (5th Cir. 2002). Although the exact nature of the incidents is not specified, the “evidence supports a finding that Richardson’s actions interfered with Green’s work performance, that he reprimanded and demoted her, and that he cursed at and humiliated her.” Id. at 656. Critically, “it was only after the relationship ended that Richardson began to harass her. This fact alone supports a jury’s inference that he harassed her because she refused to continue to have a casual sexual relationship with him.” Id. at 657.

What was the case in Dawson v. Entek?

2011), the court upheld the district court’s grant of summary judgment for the employer, holding that there was no hostile work environment in a case where a male homosexual was subjected to a barrage of anti-gay comments because the plaintiff had not presented evidence that he failed to conform to a gender stereotype or exhibited feminine traits. Id. at *7. Coworkers had made repeated comments that the plaintiff was a “worthless queer,” that he liked to “suck dick” and “take it up the ass,” and referred to him as “Tinker Bell,” “a homo, a fag, and a queer” daily for over a week, and acted in a physically intimidating manner. Because based on his own testimony the plaintiff was not being verbally harassed for appearing non-masculine or otherwise not fitting the male stereotype, the court held that there were not sufficient facts to support a finding that a reasonable trier of fact could conclude he experienced a hostile work environment based on his gender. Id.

What happened in Sheriff v. Midwest Health Partners?

2010), a licensed physical therapist at a chiropractic practice alleged that a chiropractor at the practice embraced her on various occasions, including pulling her against his body and brushing his hand against her breast. On one occasion her kissed her on the forehead. Once she complained, he then began to behave in intimidating ways, mocking her by holding his hands in the air around patients to show that he was not touching anyone, sitting beside her at meetings despite the availability of other seats, and on one occasion blocking a doorway while telling her to “put [her] problems aside.” Although the chiropractor also patted men on the buttocks, the court found no evidence that he pulled men into his body as he had the plaintiff. The court held that the district court did not err by denying the defendant employer’s post-trial motion for judgment as a matter of law, holding that a reasonable jury could have found a hostile work environment. Id. at 931.

Overview

Debra S. Katz is an American civil rights and employment lawyer and a founding partner of Katz, Marshall & Banks in Washington, D.C. She is best known for representing alleged victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment, notably Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Vanessa Tyson, Chloe Caras, and accusers of Congressmen Pat Meehan and Eric Massa, and whistleblowers facing retaliation, including most recently Dr. Rick Bright. Katz's primary practice areas at her firm are employment …

Early life and education

Katz was raised in Woodmere, New York as a Reform Jew. and graduated from George W. Hewlett High School. In 1980, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from Union College and in 1984, a J.D. cum laude from the University of Wisconsin Law School where she was a member of the Wisconsin Law Review and as Articles Editor of the Wisconsin Women's Law Journal. She ultimately left the Wisconsin Law Review and founded the Wisconsi…

Career

After law school, Katz clerked for Judge William A. Bablitch on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and held a Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowship at Georgetown University Law Center.

Notable clients

Alongside Lisa Banks, Katz represents 40 former employees of the Washington Football Team. The clients accused the organization of fostering a toxic and abusive work environment for years, in which women were frequently subjected to sexual harassment. After these allegations were reported on by the Washington Post, the team hired an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation, which was later taken over by the NFL. The team was fined $10 millio…

Notable cases

Debra Katz, Carolyn Wheeler and Joseph Abboud represented members of a student feminist group at the University of Mary Washington who were subjected to online harassment and threats. In December 2018, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that university officials had an obligation to proactively protect the students against online sexual harassment, and that such action would not infringe any student's free speech rights. This ruling represents the first time that students h…

Affiliations

Katz is vice chair of the board of directors of the Project On Government Oversight. She has contributed articles to Ms. Magazine. Katz is also on the board of directors of Americans for Peace Now.

Honors and awards

In 2019 and 2021, Katz was named to the Washingtonian Magazine's list of "The Most Powerful Women in Washington, D.C."
Katz is a Fellow at The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, a Member of the International Women's Forum, and a Fellow of the American Bar Association. Katz was named the “Civil Rights Lawyer of the Year” for Washington by The Best Lawyers In America for 2018, a pioneering #Me…

Personal life

Katz has one son, Ari Katz.