Judge: Unpaid Intern Not Protected Under NYC Sexual Harassment Law

A New York judge has ruled that an unpaid intern is not an employee and, therefore, is not able to bring suit under provisions of the New York City Human Rights Law.

Lihuan Wang, 26, filed a lawsuit against Phoenix Satellite Television U.S., alleging her former supervisor, Liu Zhengzhu, sexually harassed her.

According to the judge’s interpretation of the New York City law, only employees can bring harassment claims against employers, and since unpaid interns don’t receive any of the benefits of employment, they are not employees.