News & Analysis as of

Sexual Harassment Employer Liability Issues

Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP

Sixth Circuit Requires Employer Intent for Customer Sexual Harassment Under Title VII

The Sixth Circuit in Bivens v. Zep, Inc. brushed aside the EEOC’s and several circuit court positions with respect to the standard to be used when determining an employer’s liability under Title VII for sexual harassment of...more

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

Foley & Lardner LLP

Employer Liability for Non-Employee Acts? Sixth Circuit Imposes High Standard and Rejects EEOC Guidance

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With its August 8, 2025, opinion in Bivens v. Zep, Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit rejected the EEOC’s guidelines (and split with several other circuits) to hold that the standard for holding an employer...more

Proskauer - Law and the Workplace

Sixth Circuit Departs from EEOC and Other Circuits on Employer Liability Standard for Third-Party Harassment

On August 8, 2025, a Sixth Circuit panel in Bivens v. Zep, Inc. held that an employer can only be found liable under Title VII for harassment by a third party if the employer intended for the harassment to occur. This...more

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP

Employers, can team-building get you sued? Four risks, four solutions

Don't go off the deep end. Alison Green of the Ask a Manager blog had a great column in Slate this week about over-zealous employer team-building activities. Here’s the intro: “You’re not leaving yet, are you? Team karaoke...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

FordHarrison

Sixth Circuit Requires Proof of Intent for Employers to be Liable for Harassment by a Nonemployee

FordHarrison on

On August 8, 2025, in Bivens v. Zep, Inc., the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held that employer liability for nonemployee harassment requires proof of the employer’s intent, a departure from the...more

Husch Blackwell LLP

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

Husch Blackwell LLP on

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

Woods Rogers

Workplace Sexual Assault and Third-Party Risk: What’s the Tea in L&E?

Woods Rogers on

In this episode of What’s the Tea in L&E, Labor & Employment attorney Raven Burks joins host Leah Stiegler to unpack risks that all employers have when dealing with a sexual assault in the workplace to another employee or...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

Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP

The Coldplay Concert Kiss Cam Scandal: Legal and Employment Litigation Implications

We’ve all heard about and been astonished (or entertained) by the recent Coldplay concert kiss cam scandal involving the CEO and Chief People Officer of Astronomer, a data infrastructure and workflow company valued at over $1...more

Gould + Ratner LLP

Coldplay Gate: What if It Happened at Your Company?

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The internet lit up recently with viral footage from a “kiss cam” at a Coldplay concert in Boston, Massachusetts. The clip, now dubbed by some as “Coldplay Gate,” depicts the married CEO of Astronomer, Inc., having an...more

Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP

Client Alert: It Ends With Us Having No Coverage? – What Corporate Insureds Need to Know About Prior Knowledge Exclusions in Their...

On July 21, 2025, Harco National Insurance Company filed suit against its insureds, Justin Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, seeking a declaration from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of...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

A&O Shearman

UK employment developments July 2025

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As we move into the second half of 2025, several important developments are emerging that HR, legal and compliance teams should have on their radar. Employment Rights Bill: strategic planning starts now - The Employment...more

Mintz - Employment Viewpoints

Deepfakes Face Deep Trouble: Revenge Porn in the Workplace

The recently enacted TAKE IT DOWN Act makes it a federal offense to share online nonconsensual and explicit images, regardless of whether the images are real or computer generated. The law is intended to protect victims from...more

Ius Laboris

Cyprus Expands Workplace Harassment Protections

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In spring this year, a new law took effect in Cyprus expanding the definition of harassment and introducing stronger protections for workers. We take a look at the new framework and the key pointers for employers....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

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