Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/boundvolumes/524bv.pdf
Page Number: 853

524US2

Unit: U100

[09-15-00 14:43:09] PAGES PGT: OPIN

808

FARAGHER v. BOCA RATON

Opinion of the Court

demonstration of such failure will normally sufﬁce to satisfy
the employer’s burden under the second element of the de-
fense. No afﬁrmative defense is available, however, when
the supervisor’s harassment culminates in a tangible employ-
ment action, such as discharge, demotion, or undesirable re-
assignment. See Burlington, ante, at 762–763.

Applying these rules here, we believe that the judgment of
the Court of Appeals must be reversed. The District Court
found that the degree of hostility in the work environment
rose to the actionable level and was attributable to Silver-
man and Terry.
It is undisputed that these supervisors
“were granted virtually unchecked authority” over their sub-
ordinates, “directly controll[ing] and supervis[ing] all aspects
111 F. 3d, at 1544
of [Faragher’s] day-to-day activities.”
(Barkett, J., dissenting in part and concurring in part).
It is
also clear that Faragher and her colleagues were “completely
Ibid. The
isolated from the City’s higher management.”
City did not seek review of these ﬁndings.

While the City would have an opportunity to raise an af-
ﬁrmative defense if there were any serious prospect of its
presenting one, it appears from the record that any such ave-
nue is closed. The District Court found that the City had
entirely failed to disseminate its policy against sexual harass-
ment among the beach employees and that its ofﬁcials made
no attempt to keep track of the conduct of supervisors like
Terry and Silverman. The record also makes clear that the
City’s policy did not include any assurance that the harassing
supervisors could be bypassed in registering complaints.
App. 274. Under such circumstances, we hold as a matter
of law that the City could not be found to have exercised
reasonable care to prevent the supervisors’ harassing con-
duct. Unlike the employer of a small work force, who might
expect that sufﬁcient care to prevent tortious behavior could
be exercised informally, those responsible for city operations
could not reasonably have thought that precautions against
hostile environments in any one of many departments in far-