Garland's Digest

on employment discrimination law

Chapter 19 - Hostile Work Environment Claims

Overview

19.100 INTRODUCTION

19.200 BASIC ELEMENTS OF A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT CLAIM

19.300 STANDARD FOR EMPLOYER LIABILITY

19.400 EMPLOYER'S AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE IN SUPERVISORY HARASSMENT CASES

19.500 HARASSMENT CLAIMS BY STATUTE

19.600 REQUIREMENTS OF ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY

 

Detail

19.100 INTRODUCTION

 

19.200 BASIC ELEMENTS OF A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT CLAIM

             19.210 Basic elements of claim by circuit

                          19.211 Not a workplace civility code

                          19.212 No requirement of psychological injury

             19.220 Protected group

                          19.221 Managerial employees protected as well

             19.230 Harassment unwelcome

                          19.231 Evidence of victim's sexual behavior at work

                          19.232 Can a minor "welcome" sexual advances?

             19.240 Harassment because of membership in protected group

                          19.241 Same-sex harassment

                          19.242 Harassment based upon sexual orientation

                          19.243 Harassment based upon gender stereotyping

                                       19.243.10 Gender stereotyping is not a means of
                                                          asserting a sexual orientation claim

                          19.244 Equal opportunity harasser

                          19.245 Whether facially neutral conduct can be considered
                                        "because of" membership in protected group?

                          19.246 Harassment does not have to be sexual in nature to
                                        be "because of sex"

                          19.247 Harassment that is sexual in nature may not be
                                        because of gender

                          19.248 Harassment based on reasons other than gender

                                       19.248.10 Harassment based on failed relationship

                                       19.248.20 Offensive conduct in retaliation for a
                                                           complaint of sexual harassment should be
                                                           pursued as a retaliation claim

             19.250 Harassment must affect a term, condition or privilege of
                               employment

                          19.251 Severe or pervasive standard

                                       19.251.10 Inability to perform job

                                       19.251.20 One type of hostility can exacerbate
                                                           another type

                                       19.251.30 Factual question

                                       19.251.40 Consideration of discrete acts

                                       19.251.50 Conduct occurring outside the workplace
                                                           can be considered

                                       19.251.60 Conduct must be severe or pervasive

                                       19.251.70 Rude behavior, alone, is usually insufficient

                                       19.251.80 Conduct not directed at plaintiff can be
                                                           considered

                          19.252 Conduct must objectively constitute harassment

                                       19.252.10 Reasonable person standard or reasonable
                                                          member of the specific protected group?

                                       19.252.20 Even acts going beyond occasional vulgar
                                                          banter may not be sufficient

                          19.253 Conduct must subjectively constitute harassment

                                       19.253.10 To satisfy subjective standard, plaintiff
                                                           must know of the harassment

                          19.254 What qualifies as severe?

                                       19.254.10 Single act qualifying as severe

                                       19.254.20 Racial slurs

                                       19.254.30 Physical contact

                                       19.254.40 Particular fact patterns qualifying as
                                                          severe

                                                          19.254.41 Three sexual propositions by
                                                                              company president in one
                                                                              meeting

                          19.255 What qualifies as pervasive?

                                       19.255.10 Plaintiff need not remember specifics of
                                                           each incident

                          19.256 Court must consider totality of circumstances

                                       19.256.10 Second-hand comments

                                       19.256.20 Prior intimate relationship between the
                                                           parties

                                       19.256.30 If plaintiff is only suing for harassment by a
                                                           supervisor, then the court does not
                                                           consider evidence of harassment by
                                                           co-workers

                          19.257 Consideration of social context in which offensive
                                            conduct occurs

                                       19.257.10 Construction site

                                       19.257.20 District Attorney's office

                                       19.257.30 Nursing home - harassment by elderly or
                                                           mentally disabled

                                       19.257.40 Prisons

                                       19.257.50 Schools

                          19.258 Particular fact patterns

                                       19.258.10 Circuit overview of recent decisions

                                       19.258.20 Two back rubs by supervisor

                                       19.258.30 Consensual relationship with boss that
                                                           continued after plaintiff left the employer
                                                           is not a hostile work environment

                                       19.258.40 Occasional jokes and teasing

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19.300 STANDARD FOR EMPLOYER LIABILITY

             19.310 General principles

                          19.311 Punitive action not required

                          19.312 Mixed response by employer to harassing incidents
                                        normally results in jury question

             19.320 Employer's knowledge of harassment

                          19.321 Employer must have knowledge of harassment

                                       19.321.10 Employer must have knowledge that
                                                           harassment was for a prohibited reason

                                       19.321.20 Employer cannot be expected to know
                                                           about all harassment

                                       19.321.30 Employer has certain duties even in
                                                           absence of knowledge of
                                                           harassment
                   

                          19.322 When does employer have actual knowledge of
                                            harassment?

                                       19.322.10 Actual knowledge based on member of
                                                           management witnessing harassment or
                                                           receiving report thereof

                                       19.322.20 Actual knowledge based on fact that
                                                           harassment was reported to designated
                                                           company representative

                                19.322.30 Supervisor with knowledge of harassment
                                                           must report harassment

                          19.323 When does employer have constructive knowledge of
                                        harassment?

                          19.324 How must harassment be reported?

                                       19.324.10 Must harassment be reported to
                                                           designated company representative?

                                       19.324.20 Notice does not have to come from the
                                                          victim

                                       19.324.30 No duty to report harassment if effort will
                                                          be futile

             19.330 Harassment by supervisor / vicarious liability

                          19.331 Ellerth / Faragher tangible employment action
                                           standard

                                       19.331.10 5th Circuit tries to ignore Ellerth / Faragher

                                       19.331.20 Whether harasser is a supervisor

                                                          19.331.21 Apparent authority

                                                          19.331.22 What if supervisory
                                                                             responsibilities are divided
                                                                             amongst several persons?

                                       19.331.30 Definition of tangible employment action

                                                          19.331.31 Plaintiff not required to prove
                                                                             express demand of: "provide sex
                                                                             or else"

                                                          19.331.32 Comparison to "adverse
                                                                              employment action"

                                       19.331.40 Whether plaintiff has been subjected to a
                                                               tangible employment action?

                                                          19.331.41 Victim avoids adverse action (or
                                                                              advances) by engaging in sex
                                                                              acts

                                                          19.331.42 Constructive discharge

                                       19.331.50 Tangible employment action must be
                                                          related to the harassment                         

                          19.332 Ellerth / Faragher alter ego standard

             19.340 Harassment by supervisor / direct liability

             19.350 Harassment by co-worker

                          19.351 Liability is based on employer's negligence

                                       19.351.10 "Co-worker" may be a supervisor who does
                                                           not meet the Ellerth / Faragher definition
                                                           of supervisor

                         19.352 Employer's duty to take prompt, corrective action
                                           reasonably calculated to end harassment

                                       19.352.10 Employer's duty is a two-step process

                                       19.352.20 [Reserved]

                                       19.352.30 Remedial measures must dissuade others
                                                          as well as the harasser

                                       19.352.40 Transferring victim to less desirable
                                                          location as corrective action

                                       19.352.50 Whether employer's investigation was
                                                           reasonable?

                                       19.352.60 Employer may have failed to take
                                                          corrective action even though the harasser
                                                          was a different person each time

                          19.353 Whether or not harassment has ended?

                                       19.353.10 Employee's duty to advise employer if
                                                          corrective action is not working

                          19.354 Specific cases of co-worker harassment

                          19.355 Employer's duty regarding protection of employees
                                        who are minors

             19.360 Harassment by third party

                          19.361 Liability is based on employer's negligence

                          19.362 Inmates

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19.400 EMPLOYER'S AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE IN SUPERVISORY HARASSMENT CASES            

             19.410 No tangible employment action

                          19.411 Overview of employer's defense

                                       19.411.10 Employer bears burden of proof

                          19.412 Employer's reasonable care

                                       19.412.10 Failure to identify person to whom
                                                          complaints can be made

                          19.413 Employee's duty to complain or avoid harm

                                       19.413.10 Failure to complain due to fear of
                                                          retaliation

                          19.414 Does employer have to establish both prongs of
                                        affirmative defense in single incident cases?

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19.500 HARASSMENT CLAIMS BY STATUTE

             19.510 ADEA

                          19.511 Whether harassment claim is cognizable under the
                                        ADEA?

             19.520 ADA and Rehabilitation Act

                          19.521 "Solely" because of disability requirement under the
                                        Rehabilitation Act

             19.530 42 U.S.C. ยง 1981

                          19.531 Standard of harassment claim against individual

             19.540 Title VII

                          19.541 National origin

                                       19.541.10 "English only" rule

                          19.542 Pregnancy

                          19.543 Race or color

                                       19.543.10 Racial epithets

                          19.544 Religion

                          19.545 Sex                                      

             19.550 Retaliation

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19.600 REQUIREMENTS OF ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY

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