Opinion ID: 3003806
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Summary Judgment Proper on Hostile Work Envi-

Text: ronment Claim Scruggs also argues that the district court erred when it granted summary judgment to Garst on her claim that she was subjected to a hostile work environment because of her gender. Because a “hostile work environment” is a single unlawful practice under Title VII, a discrimination charge based on a hostile work environment encompasses all the events during that hostile environment so long as the charge is filed within the charging period (here, within 300 days of “the last act said to constitute the discriminatory working condition”). Bright v. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc., 510 F.3d 766, 768 (7th Cir. 2007); see Nat’l R.R. Passenger Corp. v. Morgan, 536 U.S. 101, 115-21 (2002). When it considered Scruggs’s hostile work environment claim, the district court properly considered Beazer’s actions outside the 300-day charging period. But even with that conduct in the mix, summary judgment on the hostile work environment claim was correct. To survive summary judgment on her hostile work environment claim, Scruggs needed to show the following: (1) her work environment was both objectively and subjectively offensive; (2) the harassment complained of was based on her gender; (3) the conduct was either severe or pervasive; and (4) there is a basis for employer liability. Dear v. Shinseki, 578 F.3d 605, 611 (7th Cir. 2009). Scruggs is correct that the unwelcome treat14 No. 07-2266 ment need not be based on “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.” Boumehdi v. Plastaq Holdings, Inc., 489 F.3d 781, 788 (7th Cir. 2007) (quoting Rhodes v. Ill. Dep’t of Transp., 359 F.3d 498, 505 (7th Cir. 2004)); see also Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Servs., 523 U.S. 75, 80 (1998). Instead, conduct demonstrating “anti-female animus” can support a hostile work environment claim. Boumedhdi, 489 F.3d at 788. In other words, a plaintiff can proceed on a claim when the work environment is hostile because it is “sexist rather than sexual.” Id. Even so, summary judgment on this claim was proper. To rise to the level of a hostile work environment, conduct must be sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of employment such that it creates an abusive working environment. Ezell v. Potter, 400 F.3d 1041, 1047 (7th Cir. 2005). The environment must be both subjectively and objectively offensive. Rogers v. City of Chicago, 320 F.3d 748, 752 (7th Cir. 2003). Factors in our assessment include the severity of the allegedly discriminatory conduct, its frequency, whether it is physically threatening or humiliating or merely offensive, and whether it unreasonably interferes with an employee’s work performance. Id. Offhand com- ments, isolated incidents, and simple teasing do not rise to the level of conduct that alters the terms and conditions of employment. Adusumilli v. City of Chicago, 164 F.3d 353, 361-62 (7th Cir. 1998). Here, the gender-based conduct was not objectively severe or pervasive. Viewing the record in the light most favorable to Scruggs, Beazer made occasional inapNo. 07-2266 15 propriate comments, including that Scruggs was “made for the back seat of a car” and looked like a “dyke.” On the other hand, his conduct was not physically threatening, as he did not touch her or threaten to touch her (other than allegedly striking her with a clipboard in 1995). He did not make comments suggesting that he was interested in her sexually. Instead, most of Beazer’s comments related to Scruggs’s work habits or alleged lack of sophistication, which were the kinds of comments he made to both male and female employees. The sporadic comments to which she points do not rise to the level of an objectively hostile work environment under Title VII. See Adusumilli, 164 F.3d at 361. Because Scruggs cannot show that the environment was objectively severe or pervasive, summary judgment was appropriate on this claim. Finally, we note that Scruggs raises as the final issue in the statement of issues in her brief whether the district court properly granted summary judgment on her claim of gender discrimination. She does not address a gender discrimination claim in the argument section of her brief, however. As a result, she has waived this argument. See Salas v. Wis. Dep’t of Corrs., 493 F.3d 913, 924 (7th Cir. 2007).