Law Commons^™

Liberating Sexual Harassment Law, Lua Kamál Yuille

Michigan Journal of Gender & Law

Sexual harassment law and the proposed solutions to that paradigm’s deficiencies teach a disheartening and peculiar lesson to women and gender performance minorities: “You may be disadvantaged at work because of your gender or your gender performance nonconformity. Discrimination against you is okay.” This albatross has inexplicably burdened sexual harassment law for the more than thirty-five years since it emerged as a redressable form of unlawful discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This Article coherently explains the reason for it. It makes a simple claim: Sexual harassment law has failed to eradicate workplace gender discrimination, …

Centering The Teenage "Siren": Adolescent Workers, Sexual Harassment, And The Legal Construction Of Race And Gender, Anastasia M. Boles

Faculty Scholarship

Recent scholarship and media attention has focused on the prevalence of sexually harassing behavior directed at working teenagers, and the emergence of sexual harassment lawsuits by these minors against their employers. Although many of the legal issues concerning workplace sexual harassment and adult workers (and the various state and federal jurisprudence prohibiting it) have been widely discussed, there is surprisingly little discourse, research, and precedent addressing the problem of workplace sexual harassment and teen workers.

Currently, most sexual harassment cases brought by adolescent workers are litigated using the doctrinal framework for adult workers. Only the Seventh Circuit has developed an …

Ncaa Athletes, Unpaid Interns And The S-Word: Exploring The Rhetorical Impact Of The Language Of Slavery, Maria Ontiveros

Maria L. Ontiveros

Sexual Harassment And Labor Arbitration, Susan A. Fitzgibbon

Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Analysis Of Unconscious And Institutional Discrimination In The United States And Britain, Leland Ware

Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Organizational Responsibility For Workplace Racial And Sexual Harassment: The Stories Of One Company's Workers, Cheryl L. Wade

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

I begin this Article with the testimony of an African-American man who, along with hundreds of African-American coworkers, brought a race discrimination suit against an industrial construction and fabrication limited liability company ("LLC") doing business in Texas and Louisiana. The company, Turner Industries ("Turner"), rigorously defended itself against the allegations, and rather than settle the case, Turner and ten of the plaintiffs went to trial in October 2012. A jury awarded two of the ten plaintiffs in the 2012 Bellwether trial $2 million each in damages, but the plaintiff whose testimony I include above lost at trial and was …

Work Wives, Laura A. Rosenbury

UF Law Faculty Publications

Traditional notions of male and female roles remain tenacious at home and work even in the face of gender-neutral family laws and robust employment discrimination laws. This Article analyzes the challenge of gender tenacity through the lens of the “work wife.” The continued use of the marriage metaphor at work reveals that the dynamics of marriage flow between home and work, creating a feedback loop that inserts gender into both domains in multiple ways. This phenomenon may reinforce gender stereotypes, hindering the potential of law to achieve gender equality. But such gender tenacity need not always lead to subordination. The …

Turning Back The Clock: The California Supreme Court's Decision In Mcclung V. Employment Development Department And The Difficulty Of Determining Legislative Intent In Retroactive Rulemaking , Jeffrey R. Groendal

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

Against the backdrop of McClung, this note will explore the principle of retroactivity, tracing its development at the national level in the U.S. Supreme Court and at the state level with respect to California courts. Part II of this note addresses the history and development of jurisprudence on retroactivity, focusing on the traditional roles of the Judicial and Legislative Branches and the major cases of both the U.S. Supreme Court and California courts on retroactivity. Part III sets out the facts of McClung. Part IV analyzes and critiques the court's opinions in McClung, with a separate analysis of the history …

Bundy V. Jackson: Eliminating The Need To Prove Tangible Economic Job Loss In Sexual Harassment Claims Brought Under Title Vii, Terence J. Bouressa

Pepperdine Law Review

In the case of Bundy v. Jackson, the federal appellate court eliminated the need to prove tangible job loss in claims under Title VII relating to sexual harassment. The holding in Bundy thus promotes the viability of sexual harassment claims under Title VII and deters employers from engaging in subtle sexual harassment as "part of the job." The decision provides a model for the nation to follow in the pursuit of the worthy goal of eliminating sexual harassment in the workplace.

He Said, She Said, Let's Hear What The Data Say: Sexual Harassment In The Media, Courts, Eeoc, And Social Science, Joni Hersch, Beverly Moran

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

We examine whether two national newspapers (The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal) provide a realistic representation of sexual harassment in the workplace by comparing media coverage to empirical evidence on sexual harassment drawn from three distinct sources: reports of workplace sexual harassment that emerge from employee self-reporting through a sexual harassment survey of government employees, charges of sexual harassment gathered through Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charge data, and federal district court complaints recorded by the Public Access to Court Electronic Records system. Whether intentional or inadvertent, the national media influences attitudes and subsequent behavior. We find that …

Labor And Employment Law, Eric Wallace

Law Student Publications

During the past two years, there have been several significant developments in labor and employment law, both on the state and federal levels. Because developments in both state and federal law likely will have a profound impact on employers and employees throughout Virginia, they warrant significant discussion in this survey. In addition to examining notable decisions from the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the Eastern District and Western District of Virginia, this survey also discusses decisions of the Supreme Court of Virginia …

Labor And Employment Law, Vijay K. Mago, Elizabeth E. Clarke, Eric Wallace

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Should Prudential Standing Requirements Be Applied In Transferred Impact Sexual Harassment Cases? An Analysis Of Childress V. City Of Richmond, Robert J. Aalberts, Lorne H. Seidman

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Burlington Industries, Inc. V. Ellerth: “Whole-Cloth Creation” Or Manifestation Of Congressional Intent?, John Corrington

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Federal Courts At The Boyd School Of Law, Anne R. Traum

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Limiting The Affirmative Defense In The Digital Workplace , Daniel B. Garrie

Michigan Journal of Gender & Law

From 2009 to 2011, there were more than 30,000 sexual harassment claims filed in the United States. The ubiquitous availability of digital technology devices has facilitated many instances of sexual harassment. Such sexual harassment occurs through unprovoked and offensive e-mails, messages posted on electronic bulletin boards, and other means available on the Internet. To date, courts remain silent on this issue. Should this type of sexual harassment be treated differently from physical sexual harassment? The surprising answer is yes. This Article suggests a new judicial framework for addressing sexual harassment perpetrated through digital communications. This framework accounts for the real-world …

Discrimination Cases In The 2000 Term, Eileen Kaufman

Eileen Kaufman

No abstract provided.

Compensating Differentials For Sexual Harassment, Joni Hersch

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

This paper provides evidence of the relation between the risk of sexual harassment and wages. While one approach to detecting the effect on wages of sexual harassment would be to estimate wage equations controlling for whether an individual reports that he or she had been sexually harassed, sexual harassment on the job is unlikely to be exogenous with respect to wages, and it is difficult to identify appropriate variables that would allow instrumental variables estimation. In addition, there are almost no data reporting information on sexual harassment as well as wages and other determinants of wages. To avoid these problems, …

Customizing The Reasonable-Woman Standard To Fit Emotionally And Financially Disabled Plaintiffs Is Outside The Scope Of The Civil Rights Act's Prohibition On Sex-Based Discrimination: Holly D. V. California Institute Of Technology, Amanda M. Jarratt

Golden Gate University Law Review

Tailoring the reasonable-woman standard to include select disabilities is problematic because employer liability would improperly depend upon the effect that the victim's disability had on the victim's perception, instead of on the agency relationship between the supervisor and the employer. Furthermore, these subjective standards would prevent employers from successfully invoking the reasonable care defense. Using these tailored standards would also result in discriminatory treatment under the law for women who did not qualify for one of these customized standards. Finally, customized standards would sterilize American workplaces. In support of this Comment's assertions against factoring the emotional and financial difficulties of …

Employment Discrimination - Gotthardt V. National Railroad Passenger Corp, Jennifer T. Dewitt

Golden Gate University Law Review

In Gotthardt v. National Railroad Passenger Corp. the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that front pay awards in Title VII cases are not subject to the compensatory damages caps stated in 42 U.S.C. § 1981a (b)(3). This was an issue of first impression in the Ninth Circuit. Other circuits had decided the issue and were split. The Ninth Circuit joined the majority of the federal circuits in holding that front pay awards are not subject to the section 1981a caps.

Defining Employer Liability: Toward A Precise Application Of Agency Principles In Title Vii Sexual Harassment Cases, Jennifer T. Dewitt

Golden Gate University Law Review

This note discusses applicable principles and law in sexual harassment cases, including Title VII, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Guidelines, agency principles, and case law that illustrate two primary approaches taken by the courts in determining the standard for employer liability. This section also discusses relevant portions of the first Supreme Court case to address sexual harassment under Title VII. Section III discusses the facts that gave rise to EIlerth's sexual harassment claims. Section IV discusses the procedural history of Ellerth's case, including the district court's decision, the decision of the Seventh Circuit panel that heard Ellerth's appeal and the en …

Radtke V. Everett: An Analysis Of The Michigan Supreme Court's Rejection Of The Reasonable Woman/Victim Standard: Treating Perspectives That Are Different As Though They Were Exactly Alike, Paul P. Dumont

Golden Gate University Law Review

This comment will discuss both the history of sexual harassment and the evolution of the reasonable woman standard in order to illustrate society's progress toward defining appropriate conduct in the work environment. Parts III- IV will present the Radtke court's argument rejecting the reasonable woman standard in favor of the reasonable person standard. Part V invokes feminist theory to critique the premises upon which the Radtke rationale is based.

Three Perspectives On Workplace Harassment Of Women Of Color, Maria L. Ontiveros

Golden Gate University Law Review

In this address, I suggest a framework for understanding the ways in which issues of race and culture play a pivotal role in what we have thought of as "sexual harassment." This framework views an incident of workplace harassment from the perspectives of the three key players: the harasser, the victim and the judicial system. From the viewpoint of the harasser, women of color appear to be less powerful, less likely to complain, and the embodiment of particular notions of sexuality. From the perspective of the women, attitudes in their community and lessons learned in their culture may make it …

Job-Related Sexual Harassment And Union Women: What Are Their Rights?, Barbara M. White

Golden Gate University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Sexual Harassment In The Workplace: A Practitioner's Guide To Tort Actions, Alice Montgomery

Golden Gate University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Discrimination Outside Of The Office: Where To Draw The Walls Of The Workplace For A "Hostile Work Environment" Claim Under Title Vii, Douglas R. Garmager

Chicago-Kent Law Review

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it "an unlawful employment practice for an employer . . . to discriminate against any individual" on the basis of sex. Accordingly, in Meritor Savings Bank, FSB v. Vinson, the Supreme Court recognized that sex discrimination in employment can give rise to a hostile work environment claim under Title VII. The scope of a hostile work environment claim has not been interpreted uniformly by the lower courts, however, as a circuit split exists today over whether conduct occurring outside the workplace is relevant to a hostile work environment claim. …

From Queen Bees And Wannabes To Worker Bees: Why Gender Considerations Should Inform The Emerging Law Of Workplace Bullying, Kerri Lynn Stone

Faculty Publications

This Article submits that the documented phenomenon of workplace bullying operates to stymie the retention and advancement of women in the workplace Research documented in books like Queen Bees and Wannabes shows that as early as the schoolyard, males and females tend to socialize differently, engage in and resolve conflict with peers differently, and absorb bullying behavior differently. Girls often believe or are taught to believe that direct conflict or confrontation is unpalatable and tend to employ more passive aggressive means of engagement with foes. They often internalize and repress feelings that boys are more likely to express. Viewing the …

Consenting Adults? Why Women Who Submit To Supervisory Sexual Harassment Are Faring Better In Court Than Those Who Say No…And Why They Shouldn’T, Kerri Lynn Stone

Faculty Publications

Today, as a sexual harassment plaintiff who failed to report harassment before bringing suit, you likely will fare better under the law if you submitted to your harasser and engaged in relations with him, than you would if you had passively resisted until you were driven out of your employment. This Article examines the law’s illogical preference for plaintiffs who acquiesced to the propositions of their supervisors over those who resisted harassment but nonetheless failed to report it. It explores the roots of such a preference in society, as well as its consequences. Ultimately, this Article asks critical questions that …

License To Harass: Holding Defendants Accountable For Retaining Recidivist Harassers, Kerri Lynn Stone

Faculty Publications

Harassment victims who suffer a "tangible employment action," which the Supreme Court defines as a "significant change in employment status such as hiring, firing, failure to promote, reassignment, or a decision causing a significant change in benefits," enjoy unfettered recourse when they sue their employers. However, victims who do not endure what a court will deem a "tangible employment action" will have their prima facie case of harassment then rendered vulnerable to the interposition of an affirmative defense by a defendant-employer, who will escape liability if it can show "(a) that the employer exercised reasonable care to prevent and correct …

Avoiding Harm Otherwise: Reframing Women Employees' Responses To The Harms Of Sexual Harassment, Margaret E. Johnson

All Faculty Scholarship

This article concerns the concepts of employee harm and harm avoidance within the liability framework for hostile work environment sexual harassment by a supervisor. Whether an employer is liable for supervisor sexual harassment depends in part on whether or not the employee avoids her harm or mitigates her damages resulting from the sexual harassment. Despite the law's interest in employee's harm avoidance, courts have failed to fully explore the vast array of harms resulting from sexual harassment and the variety of ways in which an employee avoids these multiple harms. This article reframes the legal discussion of an employee's actions …