Legal Question in Sexual Harassment in Ohio

Harassment of not?

My wife work for a small non-profit organization that employees four full time workers, 1 man and three women. The man has created a very hostile work environment for the women. Since his actions, while they are abusive, are not sexually oriented, does this constitute harassment. If so, are her employers liable since they have know of this for quite some time. Any advice on this question would be appreciated. The women are afraid to push it further for fear of losing thier jobs. Thank you.


Asked on 1/16/98, 7:08 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Regina Mullen Legal Data Services, PLC

He may be a jerk, but it doesn't sound like sexual harassment

If this fellow is causing difficulty for all the women at work, why is he still there? Did he start the non-profit? What if they all quit? Sexual harassment is not merely when someone of the opposite sex acts out or becomes a jerk, it is fairly narrowly proscribed to involve harassment over time with a quid pro quo ingredient ["have sex or else"]or a hostile environment [for example, crude jokes and obnoxious comments not necessarily "do this or else" situations]. Sounds like the Trustee board might like to know that an employee is causing such discord.

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Answered on 1/22/98, 12:20 am


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