Sexual Harassment Cease and Desist Letter

A Cease and Desist Letter is used as a request to the recipient to stop (cease) and not continue (desist) any unwelcome or illegal behavior. If the recipient fails to comply with the request, the sender should be prepared to take further legal action to stop the behavior that is harming or interfering with the sender's rights and well-being.

This Cease and Desist Letter is specifically drafted to address sexual harassment committed in a place of work, educational or training institution, public places, via online platforms, or in any other place.

Sexual harassment refers to acts that involve any unwelcome sexual advances or other verbal or physical behavior that are sexual in nature. This may also refer to gender-based harassment such as uttering derogatory, or offensive remarks and slurs against a person on the basis of their gender identity.

Illustration 1: A is a female employee of Company A, and her boss asked her via text message to send photos that are lewd in character in exchange for a promotion. This letter may be sent to the Boss who committed such harassing activity to stop the same.

Illustration 2: A is a trans-female walking down the street and B uttered a homophobic slur against A. A may then send this letter to B to stop the gender-based harassment.

This letter may be used as evidence against the person causing the harassment in case a formal investigation is initiated by the victim of the harassment. If the harassment is not sexual or gender-based in nature, a general harassment cease and desist letter may be used.

How to use this document

This document can be used by the victim of sexual or gender-based harassment. The letter will include the following information:

• The identification of the person who is a victim of sexual or gender-based sexual harassment, and the one who asks for such activity to be stopped.
• The identification of the person who is asked or requested to stop or refrain from doing the harassment.
• The details regarding how the sexual or gender-based harassment was committed.
• The place where such sexual or gender-based harassment was committed.
• The position of the victim in a workplace or academic setting, and the one causing the harassment.
• A warning that the procedure provided by the institutions (such as in the case of a workplace or educational or training institution) concerned or a lawsuit will be resorted to if the harassment does not stop.

After the details have been completed, the letter shall then be signed by the victim and sent to the person to whom the request for the harassment to stop is sent. This letter may sent via personal service, registered mail, courier service, and via email.

Applicable law

The specific laws that punish sexual and gender-based harassment are the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law or R.A. 7877, in case the act complained of refers to those committed by a superior against someone of lower rank in a workplace or academic setting, and the Safe Spaces Act or R.A. 11313 which may be committed by any person against another regardless of the rank of the victim and the offender, and the place where the harassment was committed.

How to modify the template

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