Opinion ID: 773406
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Merits of the Hostile Work Environment Claim

Text: 96 We also disagree with the district court's summary dismissal of the claim of hostile work environment based on its view that Fitzgerald could not show any adverse employment action. The court reached that conclusion in part because it found the continuing violation theory inapplicable, and in part because it found the September 25, 1997 incident 'in and of itself' insufficiently severe to constitute a materially adverse change in Fitzgerald's working conditions, 36 F.Supp.2d at 503. We have rejected the former premise in Part II.D.1. above. We reject the latter ground because the court viewed the record in piecemeal fashion, failed to draw all permissible inferences in Fitzgerald's favor, and resolved questions of fact that are reserved for decision by a jury. 97 First, it was inappropriate for the court to focus solely on the September 25, 1997 incident. Fitzgerald asserted that Gerling unfairly, harshly, and disparately abused her daily. Thus, as even HRD acknowledged, more than one of the acts fell within the regulatory 45-day limitation period.... (HRD Letter at 2 (emphasis added)). 98 More importantly, because the continuing violation theory is applicable to Fitzgerald's allegations of hostile work environment in Phase II, a factfinder may consider her evidence that Gerling subjected her to unfair harassment every day during that 2½-year period, as well as her assertion that his harassment during that period escalated. HRD appeared to give weight to the fact that Fitzgerald did not lodge a formal complaint with HRD during the lengthy period of claimed constant abuse. Although Fitzgerald's failure to seek administrative assistance during that period is a fact that plainly may be considered in weighing her testimony that she was subjected to harassment that was so constant and so abusive as to materially affect her working conditions, the weighing of the evidence and the decision as to which of competing inferences is to be drawn is solely within the province of the factfinder. The jury will be entitled to find that as Gerling's abuse intensified, it became increasingly difficult for Fitzgerald to perform her job. 99 In sum, there are questions of fact to be determined in order to resolve Fitzgerald's claim of hostile work environment.