Opinion ID: 705166
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Hostile Work Environment at Seiler

Text: 45 Tomka points to the comments, jokes, and innuendos directed at her during her tenure at Seiler and to the alleged assaults that followed the December 6 dinner as evidence that her work environment was abusive. The district court held that the assaults were sufficiently severe to alter the conditions of Tomka's employment and to constitute actionable sex discrimination. Accepting, as we must, that these assaults occurred, we agree with the district court that even a single incident of sexual assault sufficiently alters the conditions of the victim's employment and clearly creates an abusive work environment for purposes of Title VII liability. 5 See Meritor, 477 U.S. at 67, 106 S.Ct. at 2405 (allegations of harassment, including a claim of rape, sufficient to state a claim for hostile environment harassment). However, Tomka must also establish Seiler's responsibility for the sexual misconduct of Lucey, Conroy, and Polonsky. 46