By 5-4, a More Hostile Workplace

[n2doc]

By TERESA TRITCH

There’s an editor I work with closely on the editorial board who did not hire me and does not have the power to fire me. But in journalism, in general, editors are higher on the totem poll than writers and, as such, their judgments, assignments and daily instructions matter a lot.

Is the editor my supervisor? I certainly think so.

But according to a 5 to 4 decision by the Supreme Court today, the answer is no. With that ruling, the conservative majority — Chief Justice Roberts, and Justices Alito, Kennedy, Scalia and Thomas — has left many victims of workplace harassment without legal recourse.

The case was Maetta Vance versus Ball State University in Indiana. Ms. Vance, an African-American employee in the university’s catering department, sued her employer for discrimination, alleging that she had been subjected to racial taunts and veiled threats.

Under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, employers are liable for discrimination by a “supervisor,” but not by co-workers (unless the victim has reported abuse by co-workers to a supervisor who does nothing to remedy the situation).

much more

http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/24/by-5-4-a-more-hostile-workplace/?_r=0

[JustAnotherGen]

1. This doesn't bode well

For the Voting Rights Act.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. It muddies the water for many workers

who would have understandable confusion about who is their supervisor for legal reasons, since the title supervisor is used in so many ways.

[bluestate10]

3. There are some on DU working mightily to reduce the chance that democrats will keep the

White House and Senate over the next three to eleven years. The fact is that two Supreme Court seats will certainly come open during that time and as many as four can come open. Given recent rulings from the court, the question that I have for the so called super progressives on DU, is how the fuck do you plan on reversing rulings of a more rightwing court if you succeed in your poorly thought out efforts.

[kelliekat44]

4. Thank you for this post. I wonder whi the so-called "progressives" really are? I think that DU is

suffering the arrows of its own previous effectiveness and has been targeted for the divide and conquer MO. I check in every now and then but just can't feel the same way about us as I did before.

[DirkGently]

5. "Corporations are people. People are ... eh." - SCOTUS