Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/12pdf/11-556_11o2.pdf
Page Number: 18

Cite as:  570 U. S. ____ (2013) 

15 

Opinion of the Court 

paperwork).  524  U. S.,  at  747.    Ellerth  was  a  case  from 
the Seventh Circuit, and at the time of its decision in that 
case, that court had already adopted its current definition 
of  a  supervisor.  See  Volk  v.  Coler,  845  F. 2d  1422,  1436 
(1988).  See also Parkins v. Civil Constructors of Ill., Inc., 
163  F. 3d  1027,  1033,  n. 1  (CA7  1998)  (discussing  Circuit 
case  law).  Although  the  en  banc  Seventh  Circuit  in 
Ellerth issued eight separate opinions, there was no disa­
greement  about  the  harasser’s  status  as  a  supervisor. 
Jansen  v.  Packaging  Corp.  of  America,  123  F. 3d  490 
(1997) (per curiam).  Likewise, when the case reached this 
Court, no question about the harasser’s status was raised. 
The same is true with respect to Faragher. In that case, 
Faragher,  a  female  lifeguard,  sued  her  employer,  the  city 
of Boca Raton, for sexual harassment based on the conduct 
of  two  other  lifeguards,  Bill  Terry  and  David  Silverman, 
and we held that the city was vicariously liable for Terry’s 
and  Silverman’s  harassment.    Although  it  is  clear  that 
Terry  had  authority  to  take  tangible  employment  actions 
affecting the victim,8 see 524 U. S., at 781 (explaining that 
Terry  could  hire  new  lifeguards,  supervise  their  work 
assignments,  counsel,  and  discipline  them),  Silverman 

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8 The dissent suggests that it is unclear whether Terry would qualify
as  a  supervisor  under  the  test  we  adopt  because  his  hiring  decisions
were subject to approval by higher management.  Post, at 7, n. 1 (opin­
ion of GINSBURG, J.).  See also Faragher, 524 U. S., at 781.  But we have 
assumed  that  tangible  employment  actions  can  be  subject  to  such 
approval.  See  Ellerth,  524  U. S.,  at  762.    In  any  event,  the  record
indicates  that  Terry  possessed  the  power  to  make  employment  deci­
sions having direct economic consequences for his victims.  See Brief for 
Petitioner in Faragher v. Boca Raton, O. T. 1997, No. 97–282, p. 9 (“No
one, during the twenty years that Terry was Marine Safety Chief, was 
hired  without  his  recommendation.    [He]  initiated  firing  and  suspend­
ing  personnel.  [His]  evaluations  of  the  lifeguards  translated  into  sal­
ary increases.  [He] made recommendations regarding promotions . . .” 
(citing record)).