42:
323:
with a bar of soap and threatened with rape. Oncale's complaints to supervisory personnel produced no remedial action. Instead, the company's Safety
Compliance Clerk called him a name suggesting homosexuality. Oncale eventually quit, asking that his pink slip reflect that he "voluntarily left due to
358:
set the precedent for analyzing same-sex harassment and sexual harassment without motivation of "sexual desire" by stating that any discrimination based on sex is actionable if it places the victim in an objectively-disadvantageous working condition, regardless of the gender of the victim or the
335:, alleging that he was discriminated against in his employment because of his sex. Relying on earlier precedents, the district court granted summary judgment to the defendant: "Mr. Oncale, a male, has no cause of action under Title VII for harassment by male co-workers." Oncale appealed, and the
378:
case has caused some difficulty in the lower federal courts, which have struggled with how to determine whether any particular case of same-sex harassment is "because of sex." In particular, courts have struggled with how to deal with harassment that appears to be based on actual or perceived
351:
Justice Scalia, writing for the unanimous court (with
Justice Thomas concurring), reversed the decision of the district court and remanded the case for further proceedings in accordance with the instruction that a male can be discriminated against by members of the same sex under Title VII.
416:, the inclusion of sexual discrimination between same sex individuals as a protected class under Title VII set an important precedent of expanding the interpretation of protected classes under § 2000e-2(a)(1). This precedent was later reflected upon in
648:
332:
846:
472:
319:
on an eight-man crew. On several occasions, Oncale was forcibly subjected to sex-related, humiliating actions against him by his coworkers in the presence of the rest of the crew. Oncale was also
826:
637:"Boston College Law Review Volume 39 Issue 4 Number 4 Article 3: Oncale vs Sundowner Offshore Services Inc. and the Future of Title VII Sexual Harassment Jurisprudence (pages: 937-963)"
831:
731:
496:
467:
272:
136:
83:
363:
336:
115:
384:
153:
The protection against discrimination on the basis of sex under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is applicable to sexual harassment between members of the same sex.
851:
636:
786:
821:
576:
836:
841:
422:
along with two other important cases, all of which considered the word "sex" and its definition in regards to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
450:
284:
258:
806:
391:
394:
determined that employment discrimination based on sexual orientation was illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and used the
710:
Eskridge Jr., William N. (November 2017). "Title VII's
Statutory History and the Sex Discrimination Argument for LGBT Workplace Protections".
491:
609:
46:
409:
279:. The case arose out of a suit for sex discrimination by a male oil-rig worker, who claimed that he was repeatedly subjected to
437:
811:
801:
461:
444:
816:
418:
431:
288:
769:
552:
521:
184:
111:
128:
735:
500:
140:
75:
296:
17:
538:
283:
by his male co-workers with the acquiescence of his employer. The Court held that the protection of
212:
380:
340:
686:
613:
584:
280:
176:
168:
556:
276:
751:
687:"Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission"
208:
196:
742:
312:
220:
188:
760:
503:
795:
561:
307:
In late
October 1991, Joseph Oncale was working for Sundowner Offshore Services on a
325:
200:
412:
case, even though all those involved were heterosexual. In the Court's opinion in
78:
308:
316:
292:
132:
588:
90:
577:"Thank Scalia for the Revolutionary EEOC Workplace Discrimination Decision"
778:
674:
525:
610:"Oncale v. Sundowner: Same-sex Harassment, and Sexual Harassment of Men"
120:
320:
457:
which set the "reasonable woman" precedent in sexual harassment law.
404:
Because it set a precedent regarding harassment "because of sex,"
333:
United States
District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
125:
108:
41:
553:
Offshore-Rig Worker
Reaches Settlement In His Harassment Suit
473:
List of LGBT-related cases in the United States
Supreme Court
366:
to the trial court. The case was then settled out of court.
787:
Database of important sexual harassment cases and litigation
847:
United States
Supreme Court cases of the Rehnquist Court
468:
List of United States
Supreme Court cases, volume 523
385:
employment discrimination based on sexual orientation
339:
affirmed the decision. After granting a petition for
669:
Oncale v. Sundowner
Offshore Services, Inc. (n.d.).
364:
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
337:
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
252:
244:
233:
228:
157:
147:
103:
98:
70:
60:
53:
34:
331:Oncale filed a complaint against Sundowner in the
65:Joseph Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc.
827:United States employment discrimination case law
387:was not explicitly forbidden by federal law.
8:
832:United States gender discrimination case law
612:. Sexual Harassment Support. Archived from
343:, the Supreme Court reversed the decision.
35:Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc.
362:The case was subsequently remanded by the
31:
852:Violence against men in the United States
451:Hostile Advances: The Kerry Ellison Story
285:Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
259:Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
483:
392:Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
822:Sexual harassment in the United States
675:https://www.oyez.org/cases/1997/96-568
728:Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services
539:Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services
517:Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services
492:Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services
356:Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services
268:Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services
29:1998 United States Supreme Court case
18:Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services
7:
575:Stern, Mark Joseph (July 17, 2015).
837:United States LGBTQ rights case law
47:Supreme Court of the United States
25:
842:United States Supreme Court cases
651:from the original on May 31, 2020
299:between members of the same sex.
738:75 (1998) is available from:
40:
542:, 140 F.3d 595 (5th Cir. 1998).
438:English v. Sanderson Blinds Ltd
291:"because of... sex" applied to
807:1998 in United States case law
462:Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite Co.
445:Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson
408:has been lauded as a landmark
1:
635:Lussier, Deb (July 1, 1998).
271:, 523 U.S. 75 (1998), is a
868:
779:Oyez (oral argument audio)
641:Boston College Law Review
419:Bostock v. Clayton County
370:Impact and implementation
257:
162:
152:
39:
432:Hostile work environment
289:workplace discrimination
374:The application of the
315:. He was employed as a
54:Argued December 8, 1997
324:sexual harassment and
812:Business ethics cases
802:1998 in LGBTQ history
712:Yale Law Journal. 127
56:Decided March 4, 1998
311:oil platform in the
89:118 S. Ct. 998; 140
817:Harassment case law
770:Library of Congress
616:on January 19, 2007
565:(October 25, 1998).
522:83 F.3d 118
406:Oncale v. Sundowner
398:decision as a basis
213:Ruth Bader Ginsburg
185:Sandra Day O'Connor
390:In July 2015, the
381:sexual orientation
341:writ of certiorari
237:Scalia, joined by
173:Associate Justices
281:sexual harassment
273:landmark decision
264:
263:
169:William Rehnquist
131:(5th Cir. 1996);
118:1996); rehearing
16:(Redirected from
859:
783:
777:
774:
768:
765:
759:
756:
750:
747:
741:
715:
708:
702:
701:
699:
697:
683:
677:
667:
661:
660:
658:
656:
632:
626:
625:
623:
621:
606:
600:
599:
597:
595:
572:
566:
557:Associated Press
549:
543:
535:
529:
519:
513:
507:
488:
455:Ellison v. Brady
309:Chevron USA Inc.
277:US Supreme Court
158:Court membership
143:1263 (1997).
44:
43:
32:
21:
867:
866:
862:
861:
860:
858:
857:
856:
792:
791:
781:
775:
772:
766:
763:
757:
754:
748:
745:
739:
723:
718:
709:
705:
695:
693:
685:
684:
680:
668:
664:
654:
652:
634:
633:
629:
619:
617:
608:
607:
603:
593:
591:
574:
573:
569:
550:
546:
536:
532:
515:
514:
510:
489:
485:
481:
428:
372:
349:
305:
211:
209:Clarence Thomas
199:
197:Anthony Kennedy
187:
177:John P. Stevens
94:
55:
49:
30:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
865:
863:
855:
854:
849:
844:
839:
834:
829:
824:
819:
814:
809:
804:
794:
793:
790:
789:
784:
722:
721:External links
719:
717:
716:
703:
678:
662:
627:
601:
567:
544:
530:
508:
482:
480:
477:
476:
475:
470:
465:
458:
448:
441:
434:
427:
424:
371:
368:
348:
345:
313:Gulf of Mexico
304:
301:
262:
261:
255:
254:
250:
249:
246:
242:
241:
235:
231:
230:
226:
225:
224:
223:
221:Stephen Breyer
189:Antonin Scalia
174:
171:
166:
160:
159:
155:
154:
150:
149:
145:
144:
105:
101:
100:
96:
95:
88:
72:
68:
67:
62:
61:Full case name
58:
57:
51:
50:
45:
37:
36:
28:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
864:
853:
850:
848:
845:
843:
840:
838:
835:
833:
830:
828:
825:
823:
820:
818:
815:
813:
810:
808:
805:
803:
800:
799:
797:
788:
785:
780:
771:
762:
753:
744:
737:
733:
729:
725:
724:
720:
713:
707:
704:
692:
688:
682:
679:
676:
672:
666:
663:
650:
646:
642:
638:
631:
628:
615:
611:
605:
602:
590:
586:
582:
578:
571:
568:
564:
563:
562:Seattle Times
558:
554:
548:
545:
541:
540:
534:
531:
527:
523:
518:
512:
509:
505:
502:
498:
494:
493:
487:
484:
478:
474:
471:
469:
466:
464:
463:
459:
456:
452:
449:
447:
446:
442:
440:
439:
435:
433:
430:
429:
425:
423:
421:
420:
415:
411:
407:
402:
401:
397:
393:
388:
386:
382:
377:
369:
367:
365:
360:
357:
353:
346:
344:
342:
338:
334:
329:
327:
322:
318:
314:
310:
302:
300:
298:
294:
290:
286:
282:
278:
274:
270:
269:
260:
256:
251:
247:
243:
240:
236:
232:
229:Case opinions
227:
222:
218:
214:
210:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
186:
182:
178:
175:
172:
170:
167:
165:Chief Justice
164:
163:
161:
156:
151:
146:
142:
138:
134:
130:
127:
123:
122:
117:
113:
110:
106:
102:
97:
92:
86:
85:
80:
77:
73:
69:
66:
63:
59:
52:
48:
38:
33:
27:
19:
727:
711:
706:
694:. Retrieved
691:www.eeoc.gov
690:
681:
670:
665:
653:. Retrieved
644:
640:
630:
618:. Retrieved
614:the original
604:
592:. Retrieved
580:
570:
560:
547:
537:
533:
516:
511:
506: (1998).
490:
486:
460:
454:
453:movie about
443:
436:
417:
413:
405:
403:
399:
395:
389:
375:
373:
361:
355:
354:
350:
330:
326:verbal abuse
306:
267:
266:
265:
253:Laws applied
238:
216:
204:
201:David Souter
192:
180:
119:
99:Case history
82:
64:
26:
528: 1996).
245:Concurrence
135:. granted,
124:denied, 95
796:Categories
647:(4): 962.
620:October 9,
479:References
410:gay rights
359:harasser.
317:roustabout
303:Background
293:harassment
714:(2): 322.
696:March 13,
589:1091-2339
321:sodomized
297:workplace
239:unanimous
91:L. Ed. 2d
71:Citations
726:Text of
649:Archived
594:July 17,
526:5th Cir.
426:See also
383:because
347:Decision
287:against
234:Majority
116:5th Cir.
752:Findlaw
743:Cornell
655:May 31,
295:in the
275:of the
148:Holding
121:en banc
782:
776:
773:
767:
764:
761:Justia
758:
755:
749:
746:
740:
587:
524: (
520:,
495:,
414:Oncale
396:Oncale
376:Oncale
248:Thomas
219:
217:·
215:
207:
205:·
203:
195:
193:·
191:
183:
181:·
179:
734:
581:Slate
499:
139:
104:Prior
736:U.S.
698:2021
671:Oyez
657:2020
622:2006
596:2015
585:ISSN
559:via
501:U.S.
141:U.S.
133:cert
126:F.3d
109:F.3d
84:more
76:U.S.
74:523
732:523
555:",
497:523
328:."
137:520
112:118
107:83
93:201
798::
730:,
689:.
673:.
645:39
643:.
639:.
583:.
579:.
504:75
129:56
79:75
700:.
659:.
624:.
598:.
551:"
400:.
114:(
87:)
81:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.