Sexual Intimidation of Working Women

Most case law on sexual harassment is based on the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Among other features, the Civil Rights Act forbids discrimination in employment on the basis of sex. The act authorized creation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which subsequently established its own guidelines defining actionable misconduct. The courts have interpreted this misconduct to include unwelcome sexual advances whether physical or verbal, requests for sexual favors, and other sexual conduct when an employee's submission or refusal affects employment decisions. The term "sexual harassment" came into general use during the 1990s: "Sexual harassment is best described as unsolicited non-reciprocal behavior that asserts a person's sex role over his/her function as a worker" (Li-Ping Tang and McCollum, 1996, p. 54). The first sexual harassment case to reach the Supreme Court was Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson in 1986. In this case, Mechelle Vinson sued the bank, claiming that a hostile working environment had been maintained. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Ms. Vinson, s

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harassment allegedly imposed on her by Thomas, then a nominee for Supreme Court Justice: "Professor Hill was questioned, berated, and abused by many members of an all-white and all-male Senate committee" (Higginbotham, Jr., 1995, p. 32). Ms. Hill's testimony was met with undisguised doubt by the Senate committee members, some of whom accused her of lying or being delusional. In the end, Clarence Thomas was confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice. Although Ms. Hill's testimony had minimal impact on the Senate committee, her valiant effort raised the consciousness of the American people about the issue of sexual harassment. The Hill/Thomas hearings were broadcast nationwide. The treatment of Ms. Hill at the hands of the Senate committee prompted scores of debates in print and in communities across the country. The problem of sexual harassment can be viewed in terms of an imbalance of power. In general, in the workplace, men continue to wield more power than do women. Although women now represent over half of the work force, the top positions are still held by men. Thus men are in control of the resources of production. This control is evident in all major institutions in the United States, ranging from corporate to gove
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Approximate Word count = 3536
Approximate Pages = 14 (250 words per page)