Opinion ID: 774536
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: 3 In November 1994, SRAM, a manufacturer of bicycle components, hired Ms. Hertzberg as a shipping coordinator in its Elk Grove Village, Illinois warehouse. Almost immediately, Ms. Hertzberg experienced difficulties with Manuel Loayza, a co-worker. On numerous occasions, Loayza told Ms. Hertzberg that she was not as qualified as he, that women could not perform shipping responsibilities as well as men and that he would take over her job. Ms. Hertzberg also had disagreements with Loayza about shipping procedures and about a book that Loayza had failed to return to Ms. Hertzberg. 4 Ms. Hertzberg was upset by Loayza's comments and, according to her testimony, complained to her immediate supervisor, Brian Lester, on at least three occasions. 1 During one of their meetings concerning Loayza, Lester told Ms. Hertzberg that she was being too emotional, just like a woman. R.68 at 34. The last time that Ms. Hertzberg spoke to Lester concerning Loayza's remarks, Lester put his hand on Ms. Hertzberg's knee and told her he would take care of it. Ms. Hertzberg perceived that Lester was unable or unwilling to curb Loayza's behavior. Consequently, she ceased bringing her complaints to Lester. 5 On the advice of another SRAM employee, Dee Whatmore, Ms. Hertzberg complained to plant manager George Margelos concerning Lester's and Loayza's behavior toward her. Whatmore accompanied Ms. Hertzberg to Margelos' office; there, Ms. Hertzberg reported Lester's actions, as well as detailed the problems that she had been experiencing with Loayza. According to Ms. Hertzberg, Margelos seemed to shrug . . . off her concerns. R.68 at 54. Following this meeting, Margelos had at least one discussion with Lester concerning the propriety of Lester's touching Ms. Hertzberg. Ms. Hertzberg apparently did not have any further difficulties with Lester. The record is inconsistent regarding the actions Margelos took with respect to Loayza. Margelos testified to at least one conversation with Loayza about his comments that occurred shortly after Ms. Hertzberg's complaint; Loayza remembered this conversation, too, but believed that it occurred after Ms. Hertzberg's departure had become a fait accompli. Loayza apparently never was warned formally or disciplined for his comments, and, despite Ms. Hertzberg's repeated complaints to Margelos, the comments continued unabated until her departure from SRAM. 6 Ms. Hertzberg's employment with SRAM ended on February 6, 1995, although how it ended is not clear. Ms. Hertzberg testified that she was terminated from her employment by Lester because she was being too disruptive. Id. at 55. Ms. Hertzberg's ex-husband and Whatmore both confirmed that Ms. Hertzberg had told them that she was fired. Lester and Margelos, however, denied terminating Ms. Hertzberg. They testified that Ms. Hertzberg gave two weeks' notice. Shortly thereafter, she informed Lester that she was reconsidering. Margelos told Lester, however, that they were going to hold firm to her resignation. 2 7 After leaving SRAM, Ms. Hertzberg wrote to SRAM's president, Stan Day. In the letter, she related her history of problems with Loayza, that she had voiced concerns about certain procedures Manuel was using and that she did not believe Loayza was a team play[er]. Def.'s Ex. 1. She also told Day that she had not intended to resign, but only had wanted her concerns addressed. She did not request any action from Day, but provided her number to him [i]f [he] would like to respond. Id. Ms. Hertzberg did not state that she had been the victim of sexual harassment, nor did she inform Day that her discharge was motivated by her harassment-related complaints. 8 During the time that Ms. Hertzberg was employed at SRAM, SRAM had in place a sexual harassment policy. The policy required that complaints be made through the chain of command, all the way to Day. Ms. Hertzberg had seen the employment manual containing the sexual harassment policy on only one occasion; she did not have a personal copy of the employment manual and, therefore, was not familiar with the requirements of the policy. Margelos testified that he was familiar with the policy and that the policy stated that SRAM did not tolerate sexual harassment. Lester had the same understanding of the policy. Neither individual, however, had received training in harassment issues or how to conduct a sexual harassment investigation.