Examples of Cases of Sexual Harassment In California and The United States

There have been many court cases over the years that have helped to shape our understanding of sexual harassment in the workplace. Here are a few examples:

  1. Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson (1986): This was a landmark case in which the Supreme Court established that sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Court held that a hostile work environment created by sexual harassment is a violation of the law, and that employers have a responsibility to prevent and correct such conduct.

  2. Harris v. Forklift Systems (1993): In this case, the Supreme Court clarified that a single severe incident of harassment can be enough to create a hostile work environment. The Court held that even a single instance of severe harassment, such as a sexual assault, can be actionable under Title VII.

  3. Faragher v. City of Boca Raton (1998) and Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth (1998): These two cases established that employers can be held liable for sexual harassment committed by supervisors, and that employers can avoid liability by showing that they took steps to prevent and correct the harassment, and that the victim failed to take advantage of preventative or corrective opportunities.

  4. Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services (1998): This case established that same-sex harassment is also prohibited under Title VII. The Supreme Court held that Title VII's prohibition of discrimination "because of sex" applies to harassment between members of the same sex.

  5. Vance v. Ball State University (2013): In this case, the Supreme Court clarified the standard for determining who qualifies as a "supervisor" for purposes of employer liability under Title VII. The Court held that an employee is a supervisor if they have the power to take tangible employment actions against the victim, such as hiring, firing, promoting, or demoting.

These cases and others have helped to establish that sexual harassment is a serious issue that is prohibited by law, and that employers have a responsibility to prevent and correct such conduct. They also help to define the standard for determining liability and the preventative measures that employers need to take.