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Employer Liability Issues Sexual Harassment Employment Litigation

Saul Ewing LLP

Sixth Circuit Imposes Heightened Standard in Non-Employee Sexual Harassment Cases

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Recently, in a case titled Bivens v. Zep, Inc., the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that an employer will only be liable for a customer's harassment of an employee when the employer intends for such harassment to occur....more

McGlinchey Stafford

Are Employers Liable in Tort for Employees’ Sexual Assaults?

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Should employers be liable in tort for their employees’ sexual assaults? Until recently, the universal answer was a resounding “no.” After all, an employer is only liable for their employees’ actions when the employee is...more

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP

When is an employer liable for harassment by customers? You may be relieved.

When is an employer legally responsible for harassment of its employee by one of its customers? A recent court decision may be a relief for employers in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. Most courts ruling on the...more

Vedder Price

Sixth Circuit Splits with EEOC and Other Circuits as to Employer Liability for Harassment by Non-Employees Under Title VII

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In Bivens v. Zep, Inc., No. 24-2109 (6th Cir. Aug. 8, 2025), the Sixth Circuit split with the EEOC and most U.S. Courts of Appeals as to when an employer may be liable under Title VII for harassment by a non-agent (e.g.,...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

If You See Something, Do You Fix It If It Isn’t Your Employee? 6th Circuit Applies Higher Standard to Non-Employee Harassment Case

An employee tells you a customer just harassed them — what should you do? In Bivens v. Zep, Inc. the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals charts its own course in addressing employer liability for third-party harassment. The Equal...more

Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL

No Intent, No Liability: Sixth Circuit Narrows Employer Liability for Third-Party Harassment

Most employers understand their obligation to prevent discrimination and harassment at work, and the significant consequences that can come if such treatment is allowed to occur. But what if an employee alleges harassment not...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Did the Employer Intend for the Customer to Harass Its Employee? The Sixth Circuit Sets a High Bar

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit recently held that an employer will be liable for a customer’s harassment of an employee only when it intends for such harassment to occur. ...more

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP

Sixth Circuit Takes Restricted View of Employer Liability for Third-Party Harassment

For years, both the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and multiple federal appellate circuits have agreed on the legal standard for proving liability for sexual or other harassment by a third party such as a vendor or...more

Phelps Dunbar

Sixth Circuit Redefines Employer Liability for Client-Based Harassment

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In an explicit departure from EEOC guidance and other federal court caselaw, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit recently held that an employer can only be liable for a client/customer’s harassment of its...more

Husch Blackwell LLP

$10M California Jury Verdict Reversed and Remanded Over Evidentiary Issues

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A California Superior Court recently saw its decision reversed on appeal to the California Court of Appeal over several improper evidentiary rulings in Sabrena Odom v. Los Angeles Community College District, et al., (2025)...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Doing Nothing in Response to a Report of Sexual Harassment Could Cost You Millions – the LAPD Recently Learned the Hard Way

If an employee complains about a sexually suggestive picture circulating in the workplace that looks like her but is not, is that a hostile work environment complaint? It might be. In Lillian Carranza v. City of Los Angeles,...more

Venable LLP

EFAA Arbitration: Jurisdictional Divide on Pleading Standards

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A law enacted in 2022 that allows people alleging sexual assault or sexual harassment to opt out of pre-dispute arbitration agreements has altered the litigation landscape for enforcing those agreements. ...more

Foley & Lardner LLP

Court Holds Franchisor Could Be Liable for Workplace Abuse Experienced by Franchisee’s Employee

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A federal court recently denied a franchisor’s motion to dismiss a workplace-abuse lawsuit filed by its franchisee’s employee because the employee stated a claim upon which relief could be granted under Federal Rule of Civil...more

Littler

Deepfakes and Digital Harassment: What Employers Need to Know in 2025

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The landscape of workplace harassment has evolved beyond physical offices, after-hours texts and off-site events. Employers now face a sophisticated and deeply unsettling threat: deepfake technology. Once the domain of tech...more

Wiley Rein LLP

New York Court Deems Subsequent Sexual Harassment Lawsuit “Related” to Prior Suits

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A New York intermediate appellate court, applying New York law, has held that an insurer had no coverage obligation for a third lawsuit filed against its insured that was deemed related to two earlier lawsuits that were filed...more

Clark Hill PLC

10 Compelling Reasons for Employment Arbitration: Part 1

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There may be no single, more efficient step an employer can take to manage litigation risk from its workforce than a properly administered mandatory employee arbitration program. An employee arbitration program is a powerful...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

In the Zone: Third Circuit Expands Title IX’s “Zone of Interests”

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On May 29, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held in Oldham v. Pennsylvania State Univ., No. 22-2056 (3d Cir. May 29, 2025) that Title IX may allow for claims by non-students and non-employees. In the...more

Clark Hill PLC

In the Zone: Third Circuit Clarifies Reach of Title IX

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On May 29, 2025, in Oldham v. Pa. State University, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals held that the “zone of interest” test applies to Title IX claims. See No. 22-2056, 2025 WL 1524452 (3d Cir. 2025). The plaintiff, Jennifer...more

Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.

American Law Institute Endorses Novel Vicarious Liability Tort for Employee Sexual Assaults

In a controversial decision, the American Law Institute (ALI) approved a novel “Special Rule on Vicarious Liability for Sexual Assault” that endorses a new strict liability tort claim against employers for certain sexual...more

BCLP

Whistleblowing Job Applicants, Discrimination Outside Employment, and Liability for HR Consultants, Plus a News Roundup - UK HR...

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Our employment law update for May covers a new EAT case on whether job applicants can bring whistleblowing claims, whether a blatant racial insult falls outside the scope of the Equality Act 2010 because it was not made “in...more

K&L Gates LLP

Harassment in the Workplace: A Major Challenge for Employers in France

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During the first quarter of 2025, the French Supreme Court has rendered a number of rulings on harassment in the workplace. Whether moral, institutional, environmental or sexual, harassment is a burning topic and the French...more

Carlton Fields

Third Circuit Holds Harassment Exclusion Bars Coverage for Sexual Assault Suit Under Pennsylvania Law

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In Rice Enterprises LLC v. RSUI Indemnity Co., the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s finding that the insured was not entitled to coverage from its employer’s liability insurer or its umbrella...more

Miller Nash LLP

Trials by Social Media and How Employers Can Respond

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Social media has been extensively used, and abused, since its inception. For all the beneficial and valid uses of social media, there is a seemingly equal number of improper, illegal, and even criminal uses. Employers have...more

CDF Labor Law LLP

[Webinar] Workplace Investigation Essentials for Employers - Navigating Legal Minefields - May 21st, 10:00 am - 11:15 am PT

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Internal investigations are among the most legally sensitive and operationally disruptive processes for employers—especially when allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination, or retaliation arise. The inherent complexity...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Litigate or Arbitrate? Sixth Circuit Decision Looks at Timing of Sexual Harassment Claim

Can you compel arbitration with an employee who is alleging sexual harassment? You may recall that in 2022, Congress enacted the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act (EFAA), which precludes...more

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