Opinion ID: 773406
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Quid Pro Quo and Hostile Work Environment Harassment

Text: 52 A plaintiff seeking relief for sexual harassment may proceed on a theory of, inter alia, quid pro quo harassment. See, e.g., Torres v. Pisano, 116 F.3d 625, 630 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 522 U.S. 997 (1997). [T]o establish a prima facie case of quid pro quo harassment, a plaintiff must present evidence that she was subject to unwelcome sexual conduct, and that her reaction to that conduct was then used as the basis for decisions affecting the compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of her employment. Karibian v. Columbia University, 14 F.3d 773, 777 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 512 U.S. 1213 (1994). It is enough to show that the supervisor used the employee's acceptance or rejection of his advances as the basis for [such] a decision.... Id. at 778; see also Carrero v. New York City Housing Authority, 890 F.2d 569, 577, 579 (2d Cir. 1989) (quid pro quo claim established where the plaintiff's refusal to submit to supervisor's sexual demands and her complaints against him resulted in deficient training and demotion). 53 Disparate treatment prohibited by Title VII also encompasses sexual harassment that results in a hostile or abusive work environment. Meritor Savings Bank, FSB v. Vinson, 477 U.S. 57, 66 (1986); see also Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Guidelines on Sexual Harassment, 29 C.F.R. § 1604.11 (2000) (EEOC Guidelines); id. § 1604.11(a) (sexual harassment includes conduct [that] has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment). In order to prevail on a claim of hostile-work-environment sexual harassment, a plaintiff must establish two elements. 54 First, she must prove that the harassment was sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of [her] employment and create an abusive working environment. Harris v. Forklift Systems, Inc., 510 U.S. at 21 (internal quotation marks omitted); see, e.g., Meritor Savings Bank, FSB v. Vinson, 477 U.S. at 67; Perry v. Ethan Allen, Inc., 115 F.3d 143, 149 (2d Cir. 1997); Cosgrove v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 9 F.3d 1033, 1041 (2d Cir. 1993). Title VII does not authorize a hostile work environment claim for conduct that was merely offensive, rather than sufficiently severe or pervasive that a reasonable person would find the environment hostile or abusive. See, e.g., Harris v. Forklift Systems, Inc., 510 U.S. at 21; Meritor Savings Bank, FSB v. Vinson, 477 U.S. at 67 ([N]ot all workplace conduct that may be described as 'harassment' affects a 'term, condition, or privilege' of employment within the meaning of Title VII.). 55 [W]hether an environment is hostile or abusive can be determined only by looking at all the circumstances. These may include the frequency of the discriminatory conduct; its severity; whether it is physically threatening or humiliating, or a mere offensive utterance; and whether it unreasonably interferes with an employee's work performance. The effect on the employee's psychological well-being is, of course, relevant to determining whether the plaintiff actually found the environment abusive. But while psychological harm, like any other relevant factor, may be taken into account, no single factor is required. 56 Harris v. Forklift Systems, Inc., 510 U.S. at 23. 57 Second, the plaintiff must show a specific basis for imputing the hostile work environment to the employer. See, e.g., Perry v. Ethan Allen, Inc., 115 F.3d at 149; Karibian v. Columbia University, 14 F.3d at 779; Kotcher v. Rosa & Sullivan Appliance Center, 957 F.2d 59, 62 (2d Cir. 1992). Although limited defenses may be available, an employer is presumed responsible where the perpetrator of the harassment was the victim's supervisor. See, e.g., Burlington Industries v. Ellerth, 524 U.S. 742, 765 (1998); Faragher v. City of Boca Raton, 524 U.S. 775, 807 (1998); Richardson v. New York State Department of Correctional Service, 180 F.3d 426, 441 (2d Cir. 1999); Perry v. Ethan Allen, Inc., 115 F.3d at 152-53. If the supervisor's harassment did not culminate in a tangible employment action, Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth, 524 U.S. at 765; see Caridad v. Metro-North Commuter Railroad, 191 F.3d 283, 294 (2d Cir. 1999) (constructive discharge, see Part II.A.2. below, is not considered a tangible employment action for these purposes), cert. denied, 120 S. Ct. 1959 (2000), an employer may avoid liability if (a) it exercised reasonable care to prevent and correct promptly any sexually harassing behavior, and (b)... the plaintiff employee unreasonably failed to take advantage of any preventive or corrective opportunities provided by the employer or to avoid harm otherwise. Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth, 524 U.S. at 765; see Faragher v. City of Boca Raton, 524 U.S. at 807-08; Quinn v. Green Tree Credit Corp., 159 F.3d 759, 767 (2d Cir. 1998). Those circumstances constitute an affirmative defense on which the employer has the burden of proof. See, e.g., Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth, 524 U.S. at 765.