Groped at a Haunted House...

by Angela
(Ohio)

My family and I went to a haunted house in Ohio where one of the workers groped me. I told the owners he groped me and they confronted and fired him in front of me and my husband and children. I wasn't going to do anything because they were very nice and handled it well.

However I now believe I want to take the next step for them not screening these kids. Another reason I'm upset is because I can't get it out of my head and I'm afraid I'll never be able to go to a haunted house again.

I was promised in the beginning no one would touch us and it upsets me that I was. He almost wouldn't let me pass him and I even had my husband, daughter and friend with me and they saw it all. He backed himself up against my privates and kept trying to dance against me. I said stop he said, "what I'm not doing anything... why would I... you're ugly anyways".

I am far from ugly and I believe he was mad because he realized I didn't like it. Do I have any recourse in this situation against the haunted house owners or the guy who groped me?

Disclaimer: Information provided in your response is not formal legal advice, it is generic legal information and is based on the very limited information given in your question. You should always get a formal case evaluation from a licensed attorney.

ANSWER for "Groped at a Haunted House...":

Angela (Ohio):

You do have some legal recourse, but there are some legal issues you need to be aware of. Inasmuch as you apparently haven't suffered any financial losses, the basis of your case will have to be "emotional distress".

There is no doubt you were emotionally distressed by the untoward and uninvited touching. To have any type of a case you will have to be able to prove you suffered emotional damages. Proof of emotional distress is usually in the form of doctor's diagnosis of emotional harm.

To have a substantive case you will have to have a doctor's diagnosis and prognosis indicating you have suffered mental harm.

Regrettably, the worse your mental health is as result of the incident, the higher the type of settlement you may be able to negotiate. From the description you gave it appears your mental injuries aren't serious. To be sure though, you should seek the advice of either a psychiatrist or psychologist.

If they are able to substantiate your emotional distress, indicating you have suffered some amount of serious mental harm, you will be in a position to begin a claim against the owners and management of the haunted house.

Since laws change frequently and across jurisdictions you should get a personalized case evaluation from an attorney licensed in your state (if you haven't already). Find an experienced local attorney to give you a FREE personalized case review here.

Best of luck,

Law Guy

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