Clark County School District v. Breeden

532 U.S. 268, 121 S.Ct. 1508 (2001)

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Clark County School District v. Breeden

United States Supreme Court
532 U.S. 268, 121 S.Ct. 1508 (2001)

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Facts

In October 1994, Shirley Breeden (plaintiff), an employee of the Clark County School District (the District) (defendant), met with a male supervisor and another male employee to go over the psychological evaluation reports of several job applicants. One of the reports included a sexually explicit comment made by the applicant. Breeden’s supervisor read the comment aloud and indicated he did not understand its meaning. The other male employee told the supervisor he would explain the comment later, and both men laughed. Breeden later complained about this exchange to the male employee who made the comment, the employee’s supervisor, and two of the District’s assistant superintendents. In 1997, Breeden was transferred to a different position within the District. Breeden filed a retaliation claim against the District under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-3(a), alleging she was punished for the complaints she made to personnel several years earlier and for initiating a suit with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The district court granted summary judgment for the District, but the court of appeals reversed. The District petitioned for review by the United States Supreme Court, which was granted.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Per curiam)

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