The Ninth Circuit Rules that Harassing Workplace Conduct Directed at Female Employees May Violate Title VII Even in the Absence of Direct Evidence that the Harassing Conduct or the Intent that Produced It Was "Because of Sex.".
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Lawless, Laura
- Source
- Venulex Legal Summaries. 2005 Q4, p1-3. 3p.
- Subject
- *SEXUAL harassment
*EMPLOYEES
LEGAL judgments
LEGAL evidence
HUMAN sexuality
CIRCUMSTANTIAL evidence
- Language
The article reports on the decision of the Ninth Circuit to reverse a U.S. District Court of Alaska decision holding that alleged sexual harassment could not constitute a violation of Title VII's prohibition of sex discrimination without evidence that the harassment was because of sex. The circuit held that an employer's offensive conduct that is not facially sex-specific may violate Title VII if there is sufficient circumstantial evidence in the harassment suffered by female and male employees.