Opinion ID: 700696
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Existence of a Hostile Work Environment at US West

Text: 13 The district court did not address the predicate issue of whether a hostile work environment existed at US West as a result of Coleman's actions. However, US West has raised this issue and denied the existence of a hostile work environment--apparently as an alternative basis for affirmance of the district court decision--and consequently we address it herein. 14 A plaintiff may prove the existence of hostile work environment sexual harassment in violation of Title VII where '[sexual] conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.'  Hirschfeld, 916 F.2d at 575 (quoting Meritor Sav. Bank, FSB v. Vinson, 477 U.S. 57, 65, 106 S.Ct. 2399, 2404-05, 91 L.Ed.2d 49 (1986)). For sexual harassment to be actionable, it must be sufficiently severe or pervasive 'to alter the conditions of [the victim's] employment and create an abusive working environment.'  Id. (quoting Meritor, 477 U.S. at 67, 106 S.Ct. at 2405). 15 US West argues that Doi cannot solely rely on Coleman's harassment of other workers to establish a hostile work environment for herself. However, we resolved that issue to the contrary in Hicks v. Gates Rubber Co., 833 F.2d 1406, 1415-16 (10th Cir.1987), where we held that evidence of a general work atmosphere, including evidence of harassment of other women, may be considered in evaluating a claim. See also Stahl v. Sun Microsystems, Inc., 19 F.3d 533, 538 (10th Cir.1994) (incidents of sexual harassment directed at employees other than the plaintiff can be used as proof of the plaintiff's claim of a hostile work environment, quoting Hicks, 833 F.2d at 1415). US West then argues that Hicks, nevertheless, required at least some evidence of hostility directed toward the plaintiff. However, we need not reach the issue of whether our holding in Hicks is so limited, because Doi has provided evidence that she herself was subject to harassment by Coleman. 2 Thus, Doi may rely on Coleman's harassment of others to the extent that it affected her general work atmosphere. 16 Nevertheless, US West correctly asserts that Doi may only rely on evidence relating to harassment of which she was aware during the time that she was allegedly subject to a hostile work environment. In Harris v. Forklift Sys., Inc., --- U.S. ----, ----, 114 S.Ct. 367, 370, 126 L.Ed.2d 295 (1993), the Supreme Court required both an objectively hostile work environment, as well as a subjective perception by the plaintiff that the environment was abusive, for a sexual harassment hostile work environment claim. Doi could not subjectively perceive Coleman's behavior towards others as creating a hostile work environment unless she knew about that behavior. Therefore, Doi may establish the existence of a genuine issue of material fact as to whether she was subject to a hostile work environment based on evidence of Coleman's sexually offensive conduct towards herself and/or others in her office, provided she was aware of such conduct. 17 Doi has produced such evidence through her affidavit alleging Coleman's verbal and written comments, his attempt to touch her breast, and finally his grabbing of her. In addition, Doi alleges that she saw Coleman harassing numerous other women during this same two month period, and Casper told Doi of Coleman's harassment of her. Together, these allegations, if accepted, could provide the finder of fact with a reasonable basis upon which to find that Doi was subjected to hostile work environment sexual harassment. While Doi's knowledge or lack of knowledge of other specific allegations of harassment may be relevant if Doi eventually must prove her claims at trial, it need not be determined here, as there is more than adequate evidence to survive summary judgment on this issue without any of the other specific allegations of harassment of other co-workers. 18