Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky: In what might be the most famous presidential scandal in our nation’s history, Bill Clinton’s affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky eventually led to Clinton becoming the second U.S. president to face an impeachment trial.

Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Kimberly Ellerth: Kimberly Ellerth filed a complaint with the EEOC and then a lawsuit against Burlington Industries, claiming that she was subjected to constant sexual harassment by her supervisor, Ted Slowik. Despite the fact that Ellerth never experienced a setback to her job or compensation, the U.S. Supreme Court set a precedent and ruled that an employee can still hold his/her employer liable for a supervisor’s sexual harassment even if the employee does not suffer any financially-tangible, job-related harm from his/her supervisor’s harassment.

Bill Clinton and Paula Jones: As governor of Arkansas, former president Bill Clinton allegedly “propositioned [Paula Jones] and exposed himself to her in a Little Rock hotel room,” as reported by The Washington Post. Clinton never admitted to the sexual harassment charges.

Anita Hill v. Clarence Thomas: Clarence Thomas was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush despite being accused of sexual harassment by University of Oklahoma law professor Anita Hill, who had once worked for him at the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. Despite the allegations and investigation, Thomas was narrowly elected to the U.S. Supreme Court, and Hill was criticized for “character assassination.”

Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services: In this groundbreaking case, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling and declared that sexual harassment also “applied to harassment in the workplace between members of the same sex.” According to the complaint, in October 1991, Joseph Oncale was working for Sundowner Offshore Services on a Chevron oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico. He was employed on an eight-man crew which included supervisors John Lyons and Danny Pippen. Oncale alleged that he was forcibly subjected to sex related, humiliating actions by Lyons and Pippen in the presence of the rest of the crew. Pippen and Lyons were also accused of sexually assulting Oncale, and Lyons threatened to rape Oncale.

Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite Co.: Charlize Theron’s starring role in the 2005 movie “North Country” tells the story of Lois Jenson, an employee at the Eveleth Taconite Co. mine in Eveleth, Minnesota during the 1970s and 1980s. At the mine, Jenson and other female employees were regularly harassed by male workers in a sexual, threatening manner. When Jenson first filed a complaint, “her car tires were slashed,” and the company refused to pay for replacements. This case, which was filed in 1988, was the first class-action sexual harassment lawsuit in the United States. Through various hearings and trials that lasted well into the 1990s, Jenson and the other plaintiffs eventually settled with the Eveleth Taconite Co. for $3.5 million.

According to HR World, the “bizarre” sexual harassment cases included the following:

S.A.C. Capital Advisors LCC: In 2007, a shocking scandal erupted at $14 billion dollar hedge fund company SAC Capital Advisors. Former employee Andrew Tong filed a lawsuit against his supervisor Ping Jiang, for allegedly forcing Tong to take female hormones and wear female clothing in order “to eliminate the trader’s aggressive male attitude so he could become a more obedient and detail-oriented player” at work. S.A.C. Capital Advisors and Ping Jiang “vehemently deny the charges.”

Koko the Gorilla: Francine “Penny” Patterson, president of The Gorilla Foundation, was accused by two former employees of trying to force the two women to expose their breasts to a gorilla named Koko. Nancy Alperin and Kendra Keller, who sued the Woodside, California-based foundation for more than $1 million, claimed that they were fired for refusing to show their breasts to Koko. According to the complaint, “On at least two incidents in mid-to-late June 2004, Patterson intensely pressured Keller to expose herself to Koko while they were working outside where other employees could potentially view Keller’s naked body. … On one such occasion, Patterson said, ‘Koko, you see my nipples all the time. You are probably bored with my nipples. You need to see new nipples. I will turn my back so Kendra can show you her nipples.’” The Gorilla Foundation ultimately reached a settlement with Alperin and Keller.

The final section is what HR World calls the “borderline unbelievable” sexual harassment cases:

Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy and the U.S. Army: In 2000, the Army’s then highest-ranking female officer, Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy, filed a complaint after being inappropriately “fondled” by Maj. Gen. Larry Smith. According to Wikipedia: “Kennedy claimed that Smith had attempted to grope and kiss her; Smith’s appointment to the inspector general’s office was later withdrawn. In 2000, an inquiry by the United States Army’s inspector general concluded that Lt. Gen. Kennedy was a victim of inappropriate sexual advances from General Smith.”

Senator Bob Packwood: Former Oregon Senator Bob Packwood, who was chair of the Senate Finance Committee, allegedly sexually harassed 29 women through “groping, forced kissing and propositioning sex.” Packwood announced his resignation from the Senate on September 7, 1995, after the Senate Ethics Committee unanimously recommended that he be expelled from the Senate for ethical misconduct.

Professor James Maas: Following an investigation and hearing by Cornell’s Ethics Committee, Maas was unanimously found to have committed sexual harassment and was disciplined by the committee. The Dean of the College upheld the Committee’s decision. Maas then sued Cornell for breach of contract for failure to observe bylaws and procedures, and negligence. A state appeals court rejected Maas’ lawsuit which had challenged the procedures that Cornell used in finding him guilty of sexual harassment.

Custom Companies: Perry Mandera, the CEO of Illinois-based trucking company Custom Companies, allegedly subjected a number of female employees to sexual harassment, including inappropriate touching, sexual jokes, sexual advances, and a sexually charged atmosphere. The women claim to have also been “required to entertain Custom Companies customers and potential clients at a number of strip clubs on Kingsbury Street in Chicago.” The women were granted more than $1 million dollars in damages.

Anucha Browne Sanders v. Isiah Thomas: In 2006, New York Knicks VP marketing Anucha Browne Sanders accused head coach Isiah Thomas of sexual harassment. Sanders filed a lawsuit against Thomas, Madison Square Garden, and parent company chairman James Dolan. The jury ruled that Thomas sexually harassed Sanders and that Dolan fired Sanders in retaliation for complaining about the harassment. The jury awarded Sanders $11.6 million in punitive damages.

American Apparel CEO Dov Charney: According to the LA Times, Mary Nelson, a former sales employee, claims that Dov Charney “created ‘a hostile work environment‘ by using sexually explicit language and behaving in sexually inappropriate ways. During several meetings with her — including one at his home — he was dressed only in his underwear, the suit alleges. On another occasion, according to the suit, he appeared in a skimpier garment. Nelson, 36, who worked for American Apparel for a little more than a year, claims Charney also referred to women as ‘whores’ and ‘sluts’ and invited her to masturbate in front of him. Nelson’s suit alleges she was fired the day she consulted a lawyer.”

As an HR professional I’ve personally witnessed the devastation this type of selfish, abuse of authority can cause. But I also know the law and the resources and how victims can help themselves navigate through these resources to seek aid and recover successfully. No one needs to be a victim of sexual harassment or any other forms of harassment that violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

If you are the victim of harassment, and are seeking answers to questions or need some direction of resources, please write to me at this site or privately to the email posted above, and I will personally respond and provide assistance. I am not a lawyer but I have over 28 years of corporate HR experience and I am ready to provide answers to your questions.

Visit their website and take a few moments to view their videos and get involved. You can also find Beverly Peterson’s videos (she produced the documentaries) on Youtube. I ran one of her videos for a few weeks and will be running another beginning tomorrow. nojobisworththis is a thoughtful organization with a meaningful purpose and a strong commitment to making a powerful difference on the fight against abuse.

I gave her some immediate advice — talk to her parents, inform her school authorities, and contact the police. She also shut down all internet contact with the man, and said she was going to notify the proper authorities about the incident. Her e-mail to me took courage, and her experience is a further sign that we have to be careful in all of our dealings on the internet. We never know who we are communicating with.

Teenagers: you shouldn’t feel ashamed or embarrassed if someone tries to take advantage of you — it’s not your fault. But listen to your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, or sound right, report your experience to your parents, or your clergy, school or police. And pay attention to those school safety assemblies, because they offer up great tips on internet safety and security.

I checked in on my young reader today to see how she’s doing, and to make sure she’s reported her experience to the proper authorities. Thanks to her courageous steps, hopefully she’ll help stop one bad guy from stalking young women.

To all young readers, and to everyone using the internet, be smart users. It’s a wonderful tool, but be mindful of your safety at all times. If you have similar experiences you’d like to share, or if you have questions about this topic, please write to me. Thanks.

dierdref said,
April 10, 2009 at 5:43 am · Edit

I have worked for a commercial landscaping company now for 6 months, as of 04/13/09. The Senior Field Supervisor has made lewd comments to me, stroked my hair, put his hand under my top, and has asked me to be alone with him in certain areas of the company property. There was another female employee, who had reported inappropriate behavior, primarily against a different employee with whom she worked in the field, but also made comment about the Senior Field Supervisor I am referring to. She was terminated shortly after, under the guise of her unwillingness to sign the company’s Arbitration Agreement. Not all signed this under “the gun” as she was pressured to. Prior to her firing, the owner and acting HR person, at the time, were overheard saying that she needed to be fired because she was a “problem starter” and that this would be done by cutting back her hours and forcing her out. There is a prevasive culture dictating a necessity to get along with three people at this organization in order to sustain one’s employment, and the Senior Field Supervisor is one of the three. I am more than concerned about reporting any kind of complaint, as I need this job/income and though I have been actively job hunting ever since the incidents first started, I have not been contacted for a single other job opportunity.

normarae2008 said,
April 17, 2009 at 4:53 pm · Edit

Thank you for writing to me. I apologize for not responding to you sooner but I was tied up on another project for a few days. Your message has gotten my full attention, however. I’ll try to give you some information that might be helpful, based on 28 years of practicing as a Human Resources executive. I’m not a lawyer and I can’t give you legal advice, but I can give you some basic information that might answer some of your questions and help you sort out the situation you find yourself in.

First of all, unlawful harassment is a form of discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other federal authority. Unwelcome verbal or physical conduct based on race, color, religion, sex, (whether or not of a sexual nature and including same-gender harassment and gender identity harassment) national origin, age (40 and over) disability (physical or mental), sexual orientation, or retaliation constitutes harassment when: the conduct is sufficiently severe or pervasive to create a hostile work environment; or a supervisor’s harassing conduct results in a tangible change in an employee’s employment status or benefits (such as demotion, termination, failure to promote, etc).

Examples of actions that create a sexual hostile work environment include leering, making offensive remarks about looks, clothing or body parts, touching in a way that makes an employee feel uncomfortable such as patting, pinching, or intentional brushing up against another’s body. Telling sexual or lewd jokes, making sexual gestures or hanging sexual posters, or sending sexually soliciting letters, notes, emails or other images.

Judging by your message, your Senior Field Supervisor may be guilty of inappropriate conduct that could be unlawful with respect to workplace harassment. Further, employers cannot retaliate against employees for bringing complaints forward about potential unlawful conduct by coworkers. If this is in fact occurring, and you cannot approach your employer without fear of retaliation, you have other avenues you may pursue. It’s important that you know that no one should tolerate workplace harassment of any type or form. I respect that you need your job, but you should not have to pay a painful price to keep it. You can always consult a local labor attorney who specializes in sexual harassment, or you can contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. You can find the EEOC on the internet. I understand that we’re living in tough economic times, but some lawyers will take on a case on not seek compensation until the case settles.

Your allegations are quite serious and should be taken up with the proper authorities. Time is of the essence. I encourage you to record carefully all of the incidents that have occurred by date and time, including as much accurate information as you can recall. Please refer to my blog on Record Keeping. You, the previous woman terminated and any other individuals harassed by The Senior Field Supervisor may have a legitimate claim against this individual. I can’t say whether or not your claim will prevail, but these types of behaviors are the reasons why Title VII and unlawful harassment laws were written in the first place. To prevent women like you and me from suffering unlawful treatment in the workplace, and to ensure that the workplace is just that — a place where we can work and be productive and enjoy welcome relationships with our coworkers.

I wish you luck with your case. Please write back to me and let me know what you plan on doing to resolve your matter. I wish you luck, patience, and perseverance. Don’t let anyone take your civil rights away from you. Ever.