Opinion ID: 784482
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Monica Comments

Text: 5 After completing two years at Rockland Community College (RCC), Hayut enrolled at SUNY New Paltz for the 1998-99 academic year. Hayut, a political science major, registered for two courses with Professor Young, a tenured political science professor. Each course met twice weekly during the Fall 1998 semester. According to Hayut, Professor Young's sexual harassment of her began approximately three weeks into the semester. Initially, the harassment consisted of Professor Young referring to Hayut by the nickname Monica, in light of her supposed physical resemblance to Monica Lewinsky, a former White House intern who at that time was attaining notoriety for her involvement in a widely-covered sex scandal with then-President William J. Clinton. 6 According to the testimony of some witnesses, Hayut initially laughed at the nickname, rolled her eyes, or simply shrugged her shoulders, giving no outward indication that the comments troubled her. However, Young's use of this nickname persisted even after Hayut requested that he stop. Despite her protestations, Professor Young would occasionally, in dramatic fashion, attempt to locate Hayut in the classroom by sitting in front of his desk and screaming the name Monica. Hayut maintains that the Monica comments occurred at least once per class period throughout the rest of the semester and persisted even in her absence. 1 Hayut also maintains that, on occasion, Professor Young addressed her as Monica outside of class when they happened to pass each other. 7 Professor Young's conduct was not limited to using the Monica nickname, but included other comments as well. These added context to the nickname by associating Hayut with some of the more sordid details of the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal. Specifically, Professor Young referred to some of Clinton's and Lewinsky's more notorious conduct, including [h]ow was your weekend with Bill?, which question Hayut claims he asked virtually every Tuesday morning class session. In addition to this weekend comment, Professor Young also told Hayut to [b]e quiet, Monica. I will give you a cigar later. Hayut testified that the cigar comment was uttered twice during the Fall 1998 semester, once in her afternoon class period with Professor Young (after he had observed Hayut talking to another student during a lecture), and the second in the very next morning class session. Finally, Professor Young observed to Hayut, in front of her peers, that [y]ou are wearing the same color lipstick that Monica wears. Hayut testified in her deposition that these specific comments by Professor Young — particularly the cigar comment — evoked shock and disbelief from students in the class. 8 Hayut also testified during her deposition that, on at least one occasion in the middle of the semester, Professor Young's remarks upset her to the point that she began crying and walked out during his lecture. Hayut did not, however, ever approach Professor Young after class, in the hallway, or in his office to discuss her disapproval of the Monica nickname and of his other comments, despite having the opportunity to do so. 2 9 Hayut did not, moreover, report Professor Young's conduct to school officials early in the Fall 1998 semester. She clearly could have done so. Thus, after returning from a two-week absence mid-semester, Hayut met with Professor Brownstein. In addition to serving as Chair of the Political Science department, Professor Brownstein also served as Hayut's academic advisor. During this meeting, Hayut discussed the work she had missed in Professor Brownstein's course. She ultimately decided to withdraw from his class after determining that she would be unable to make up the work. Significantly, Hayut never mentioned Professor Young's conduct to Professor Brownstein at this Fall 1998 meeting. 10 Hayut maintains that the Monica comments affected her deeply, humiliating her in front of her peers, causing her to experience difficulty sleeping, and making it difficult for her to concentrate in school and at work. At times, Hayut feared that new developments in the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal would induce Young to come up with a new, off-color comment at her expense and, therefore, she avoided watching the news. Hayut also testified that, despite her protestations, Professor Young's Monica references led other students — primarily male — to address her as Monica in a ridiculing manner outside of class.