Sexual Harassment
Threat to Cities

Sexual harassment complaints are increasing at the rate of almost 400 % following last summer's Hill-Thomas hearings. More than 2500 such complaints were filed with state and federal equal rights agencies in the three months following the hearings, compared to 5400 for the entire preceding year, according to federal EEOC sources.

Although no statistics were available on the proportion of complaints directed against municipal employers and governmental units, fire departments, police departments, and public works departments often generate complaints, according to Carol Manzaro, a former EEO investigator for the US Post Office.

These areas are typically viewed as "a man's work" by many, and sexual harassment is a way of trying to force women back to where they "belong", according to Manzaro. It is a power issue, she says.

This hostile environment, however, is grounds for sexual harassment liability under federal and Illinois state standards. The employer, intermediate supervisors, and persons directly responsible can be sued for unlimited actual damages and up to $300,000 in punitive damages, plus attorney's fees.

The Illinois Human Rights commission in May urged all Illinois employers to adopt and enforce sexual harassment policies and to train their employees in understanding the policies and procedures for corrective measures, according to Manzaro, whose video "Sexual Harassment: A Management Primer" addresses those goals. The tape includes written policies and training materials for employer use.

For more information on the Manzaro video tapes, you may contact Stanstead Publishing, 1334 E. State, Rockford, IL. 815/964-6981.

August 1992 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 21