The Supreme Court case of Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson (1986) was a landmark case in which the Court established that sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The case involved a female bank teller, Mechelle Vinson, who alleged that her supervisor, Sidney Taylor, had sexually harassed her over a period of several years. She claimed that Taylor had made repeated sexual advances and propositions, had touched her in a sexual manner, and had created a hostile work environment by making crude and offensive comments about her and other female employees.
The bank argued that Vinson could not prove that she had suffered any tangible employment action as a result of the harassment, such as a demotion or termination, and therefore she could not prove discrimination under Title VII.
The Supreme Court rejected this argument and held that a hostile work environment created by sexual harassment is a violation of Title VII. The Court held that sexual harassment that creates a hostile work environment is a form of discrimination because it alters the conditions of the victim's employment and creates an abusive working environment. The court also stated that Employers have a responsibility to prevent and correct such conduct and an employer can be held liable for sexual harassment committed by its supervisors.
This case was important because it established that sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination and that employers are responsible for preventing and correcting it. It also established that a hostile work environment created by sexual harassment can be a violation of Title VII, even if the victim has not suffered a tangible employment action as a result of the harassment.