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BURLINGTON INDUSTRIES, INC. v. ELLERTH Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: An employee alleged supervisor sexual harassment involving unfulfilled threats but no tangible job detriment. The Court held employers are vicariously liable for such harassment but may assert an affirmative defense if they took reasonable care to prevent it and the employee failed to use available complaint procedures.
Legal Significance: This case established the controlling framework for employer vicarious liability in supervisor harassment cases under Title VII. It introduced the critical distinction between cases with and without a “tangible employment action” and created the corresponding two-part affirmative defense for employers.
BURLINGTON INDUSTRIES, INC. v. ELLERTH Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Kimberly Ellerth, a salesperson for Burlington Industries, alleged she was subjected to constant sexual harassment by her mid-level supervisor, Ted Slowik. Slowik made numerous offensive remarks and, on several occasions, made comments that Ellerth interpreted as threats to adversely affect her job if she did not submit to his advances. For instance, he told her, “I could make your life very hard or very easy at Burlington.” Despite these threats, Ellerth was promoted and suffered no tangible, adverse employment action. Ellerth was aware of Burlington’s anti-harassment policy but did not report Slowik’s conduct to anyone in authority. She eventually resigned, later citing the harassment as the reason for her constructive discharge. The District Court granted summary judgment for Burlington, finding it was not liable because it neither knew nor should have known of the supervisor’s conduct. The Seventh Circuit reversed, but its en banc decision produced no majority rationale for the standard of employer liability, prompting Supreme Court review.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Under Title VII, is an employer vicariously liable for a supervisor’s sexual harassment that creates a hostile work environment but does not culminate in a tangible employment action against the employee?
Yes. An employer is vicariously liable for a supervisor’s creation of a Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehen
IRAC Legal Analysis
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Legal Issue
Under Title VII, is an employer vicariously liable for a supervisor’s sexual harassment that creates a hostile work environment but does not culminate in a tangible employment action against the employee?
Conclusion
This decision, along with its companion case Faragher v. Boca Raton, created Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ulla
Legal Rule
An employer is subject to vicarious liability to a victimized employee for Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pa
Legal Analysis
The Court grounded its analysis in agency law principles, as directed by Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et d
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Flash Summary
- An employer is vicariously liable for a supervisor’s hostile environment sexual
