Opinion ID: 796108
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Gordon's Hostile Work Environment Claims

Text: 8 A hostile environment exists when the workplace is permeated with discriminatory intimidation, ridicule, and insult that is sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of the victim's employment and create an abusive working environment. Palesch v. Mo. Comm'n on Human Rights, 233 F.3d 560, 566 (8th Cir.2000) (quoting Harris v. Forklift Sys., Inc., 510 U.S. 17, 21, 114 S.Ct. 367, 126 L.Ed.2d 295 (1993) (internal quotations and further citation omitted)). Hostile work environments created by supervisors or coworkers have the following elements in common: (1) the plaintiff belongs to a protected group; (2) the plaintiff was subject to unwelcome harassment; (3) a causal nexus exists between the harassment and the plaintiff's protected group status; and (4) the harassment affected a term, condition, or privilege of employment. Al-Zubaidy v. TEK Indus., Inc., 406 F.3d 1030, 1038 (8th Cir.2005). In addition, for claims of harassment by non-supervisory personnel, Gordon must show that his employer knew or should have known of the harassment and failed to take proper action. See Carter v. Chrysler Corp., 173 F.3d 693, 700 (8th Cir.1999). To constitute a hostile work environment, the harassment must be `sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of the victim's employment and create an abusive working environment.' Harris, 510 U.S. at 21, 114 S.Ct. 367 (quoting Meritor Sav. Bank, FSB v. Vinson, 477 U.S. 57, 67, 106 S.Ct. 2399, 91 L.Ed.2d 49 (1986)). 9 Shafer is vicariously liable for harassment by its supervisory personnel unless it can establish that (1) Shafer exercised reasonable care to prevent and promptly correct any harassing behavior; and (2) Gordon unreasonably failed to take advantage of the preventive or corrective opportunities provided by Shafer. Burlington Indus., Inc. v. Ellerth, 524 U.S. 742, 765, 118 S.Ct. 2257, 141 L.Ed.2d 633 (1998). An employer may assert the affirmative defense only [w]hen no tangible employment action is taken. Faragher v. City of Boca Raton, 524 U.S. 775, 807-08, 118 S.Ct. 2275, 141 L.Ed.2d 662 (1998). 10 Gordon alleges that statements by Boyd Heilig, a coworker, and Gary Heilig, a supervisor, created a hostile work environment. Gordon contends that Boyd Heilig made three to four racially offensive comments to him and additional sexually offensive comments to him. This limited number of offensive comments is insufficient to create a hostile work environment. See Burkett v. Glickman, 327 F.3d 658, 662 (8th Cir.2003) (Offhand comments and isolated incidents of offensive conduct (unless extremely serious) do not constitute a hostile work environment.). 11 Gordon testified that Gary Heilig greeted him with racially offensive remarks two or three times a week, as well as making other offensive remarks to him. Crediting this testimony, as we are required to do on review of a summary judgment, we assume that these remarks are sufficiently pervasive to constitute a hostile work environment. Shafer argues that its antidiscrimination policies, and Gordon's failure to attempt to use its remedies, establish the Ellerth-Faragher defense with respect to alleged harassment by Gary Heilig. We agree. 12 Shafer publishes an Employee Policy Manual (Manual) that describes its antidiscrimination policies and reporting procedures, including a policy against harassment. This manual is distributed to all employees at the beginning of each construction season; Gordon acknowledges receiving the policy before the 2002 season. The Manual identifies three company officials to whom harassment can be reported and provides their work and home telephone numbers. Gordon never reported the alleged harassment to any of these officials. He claims he failed to do so because he believed reporting would be ineffective. Such bare assertions are insufficient to avoid summary judgment. We affirm the district court's holding that Shafer established the Ellerth-Faragher defense with respect to alleged harassment by Gordon's supervisor.