Sexual Harassment: What's a Local Manager to Do?

For public employers, taking steps to prevent sexual harassment, and dealing with it appropriately when it does occur, has become a high priority. Two cases decided by the Supreme Court in the late 1990s (Faragher v. City of Boca Raton and Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth) held an employer vicariously liable for a supervisor's harassment of a subordinate when it involved an abusive and hostile work environment. The article explores the views of local managers on a hypothetical case of harassment of an administrative assistant by a department head. It examines how familiar managers are with the legal and ethical issues of harassment and offers some advice.