Outcomes of Federal Court Decisions on Sexual Harassment

Abstract

This study examined the influence of nine case characteristics on the outcomes of federal court cases involving sexual harassment. Case characteristics that were related to the courts' decisions were the severity of the behavior involved, the presence of witnesses and documents, whether complainants had notified their companies of the harassment before filing charges, and whether the organizations had taken action. We compared findings to the results of a previous study involving harassment charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.