Workplace Harassment your rights. Our Fight.

Workplace Harassment Lawyer in Iowa

Representing Iowa Employees Exclusively Since 2009

When harassment at work goes unaddressed, the legal system offers remedies. Since 2009, Newkirk Zwagerman, P.L.C. has represented employees and individuals in Iowa facing harassment on the job. We don’t represent employers, companies, or institutions. Every client we take on is someone who has been wronged, and we work to make sure their voice carries legal weight.

We represent clients whose harassment stems from their age, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, or disability. Free consultations are available so you can explain your situation before committing to anything.

If you’re dealing with workplace harassment in Iowa, call us at (515) 497-9409 to schedule a free consultation and learn where your claim may stand.

What Iowa Employees Get from Our Firm

Our attorneys bring decades of combined experience to employment law, and our leadership is genuinely invested in civil rights work. That foundation shapes how we approach every case. We don’t apply a template. We build a strategy around your specific situation, your employer, and what actually happened.

We’ve helped employees and job applicants across Iowa resolve employment law violations, sometimes through negotiated settlements and sometimes through litigation. Which path makes sense depends on the facts. Our job is to pursue the outcome that best fits your circumstances.

Iowa Workplace Harassment Law: What’s Protected & What’s Changed

Workplace harassment takes two primary legal forms. A hostile work environment exists when conduct based on a protected characteristic is severe or pervasive enough to alter the conditions of employment. Quid pro quo harassment occurs when a supervisor ties job benefits or consequences to an employee’s submission to unwelcome conduct. Both forms can support a legal claim.

Iowa employees may have claims under the Iowa Civil Rights Act, federal Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, or both. Understanding which law applies matters because the protections differ.

Protected Characteristics Under Iowa & Federal Law

The Iowa Civil Rights Act currently protects employees from harassment based on race, color, creed, sex, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, age, and pregnancy, and it prohibits retaliation for reporting such conduct. As of July 1, 2025, gender identity is no longer a protected basis under the Iowa Civil Rights Act (Iowa Code chapter 216). Gender identity remains protected under federal Title VII for employers with 15 or more employees.

Which Law Covers Your Iowa Employer

The Iowa Civil Rights Act applies to Iowa employers with four or more employees. Federal Title VII generally applies only when an employer has 15 or more employees. That gap matters. An employee at a small business with eight workers wouldn’t have a federal Title VII claim, but the Iowa Civil Rights Act may still apply. Knowing which threshold your employer meets shapes which agency you file with and what remedies may be available.

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Defending Your Dignity Bold Representation for Bold Change

See What Sets Us Apart

Equity for All

Fighting for your rights, we work towards the fundamental equality of every individual.
Accountability-Focused

We work to ensure organizations are responsible for creating fair and just workplaces.
Employee Advocates

We empower our clients to have their voices heard and their rights protected.
Fostering Inclusion

At our core, we drive positive change through education and implicit bias training.

Filing Deadlines & the Complaint Process in Iowa

Timing is critical. A workplace harassment complaint must be filed with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission within 300 days of the alleged conduct. The EEOC’s Milwaukee Area Office handles federal charges for Iowa employees, and the two agencies cross-file, so a single charge typically covers both.

Once a complaint has been on file with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission for 60 days, you can request a right-to-sue letter. That letter allows you to file a lawsuit in court. Once issued, you have 90 days to file under Iowa civil rights law. Missing that window can end the claim.

Retaliation & What to Do Right Now

Iowa and federal law both prohibit an employer from retaliating against you for reporting harassment or filing a complaint. A demotion, termination, schedule change, or hostile shift in treatment after you report can itself become a separate claim.

If you’re currently experiencing harassment, two practical steps can strengthen any future case: document every incident with dates, specific conduct, and witness names, and review your employer’s internal harassment reporting procedure. Courts and agencies often look at whether internal channels were used before a formal complaint was filed.

Iowa Employees We Represent

We serve clients throughout Iowa, handling harassment claims against private businesses and public institutions alike. Federal government employment is also within our scope. Whether you work in a factory, an office, a hospital, a school, or a government agency, your job title and industry don’t limit whether we may be able to help.

We represent workers at every level, from hourly employees to executives. Because we’re licensed in both Iowa and Minnesota, we can also handle cross-state employment matters when a claim spans both states or involves an employer operating across the border.

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Talk to an Iowa Workplace Harassment Attorney for Free

Before deciding how to move forward, you need to understand your options. In a free consultation, we listen to what happened and discuss the paths available to you: resolving the situation while you’re still employed, responding to a termination, or pursuing a formal complaint or lawsuit. You won’t be pushed toward any one course without understanding what it involves.

Workplace harassment claims in Iowa carry strict deadlines. The sooner you speak with us, the more options may remain open. Call Newkirk Zwagerman, P.L.C. at (515) 497-9409 to schedule your free consultation today.

"They Truly Cared"
I was represented by both Jill Zwagerman and Newkirk Zwagerman Law Firm better than I could have ever imagined. Over two years they prepared me to the fullest degree. They truly cared about my needs and opinions.

- Stephanie T.
"They Speak My Language"
Tom Newkirk and his firm are experts on the state of college athletics and the type of bias that coaches and especially female coaches deal with on daily bases. They speak a language that anyone can understand.

- Petra M.

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