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Civil Rights act of 1964
President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into a law. Details of the Act included the right to equal opportunity in employment and the right to non-discrimination in public accommodations. Later, federal courts begin ruling that sexual harassment is also prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. -
Education Amendments of 1972: Title IX
The 9th amendment in the Education Amendments of 1972, stating "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." Discrimination including sexual harassment to employees. -
Barnes v. Train
The first sexual harassment case in the United States decided by the federal court. The case involved a woman's claim of retaliation by her boss because she rejected his sexual advances. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia holds that there was no discrimination involved. -
William v. Saxbe
A court case that established that 'quid pro quo' sexual harassment as a form of sex discrimination in the workplace. Quid pro quo sexual harassment occurs when an employer requires an employee to submit to unwelcome sexual advances as a condition of employment, either implicitly or explicitly. -
Barnes v. Costle
An appeal/follow up of Barnes v. Train, marking the first time a federal court of appeals recognizes sexual harassment as a legally actionable form of sexual discrimination under Title VII. Barnes lost her initial case, but appealed. On appeal, a three-judge panel held unanimously that Title VII prohibits quid pro quo scenarios that result in abolishment of a woman’s job because she refuses her supervisor’s sexual advances. -
Catharine MacKinnon Book
Legal scholar Catharine MacKinnon publishes "Sexual Harassment of Working Women", which provides a legal argument that sexual harassment is sex discrimination. It was not until seven years after the arrival of MacKinnon’s book, though, that the Supreme Court recognized sexual harassment as a Title VII violation. -
EEOC Guidelines
Even though the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was established in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with enforcing Title VII, they didn't issue guidelines that define sexual harassment and state it is a form of sex discrimination until 1980. -
CEDAW
The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), an international treaty is instituted with the ratification of 20 states. As of 2015, CEDAW, which is described as a bill of rights for women, has been ratified by 189 states. While the U.S. is one of the initial states to sign the treaty, it has not ratified it. -
Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson
In Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson, the United States Supreme Court addresses sexual harassment and establishes "hostile work environment" along with quid pro quo as the kinds of workplace harassment under Title VII. The Court rules that sexual harassment is sex discrimination and thus illegal according to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -
Jenson v Eveleth Taconite Co.
Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite Co. becomes the first sexual harassment case to be given class-action status. (Class Action: a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member of that group) -
Anita Faye Hill Testimony
Anita Faye Hill, an attorney and professor of social policy and women's studies, testifies under oath at then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas' Senate confirmation hearings that he sexually harassed her. However, Thomas is still confirmed and appointed to the Court. -
Convention of Talihook Association
Dozens of women are sexually assaulted by U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aviation officers at a convention of the Tailhook Association, a private club of Navy and Marine aviators. As a result, a number of officers were formally disciplined or refused advancement in rank. Controversially, military officers and observers have alleged that flag officers attending the symposium were not held accountable for knowingly allowing the behavior in question to occur. -
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Convention of Talihook Association
Dozens of women are sexually assaulted by U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aviation officers at a convention of the Tailhook Association, a private club of Navy and Marine aviators. As a result, a number of officers were formally disciplined or refused advancement in rank. Controversially, military officers and observers have alleged that flag officers attending the symposium were not held accountable for knowingly allowing the behavior in question to occur. -
Civil Rights Act of 1991
The Civil Rights Act of 1991 is signed into law by President George H.W. Bush and places the burden on the employers to show they did not discriminate. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 expands the rights of women to sue and collect compensatory and punitive damages for sexual discrimination or harassment. -
Franklin v. Gwinnett County Public Schools
10th Grader Franklin gets sexually harassed by a teacher in Gwinnett High school and reports the action to the district. The teacher resigned and as a result, Franklin's case is dismissed. However, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that private citizens can collect damage awards when teachers sexually harass their students as a form of compensation. -
Harris v. Forklift Systems, Inc.
In Harris v. Forklift Systems, Inc., a female employee was the U.S. Supreme Court rules that a victim of sexual harassment does not need to prove that harassment caused serious psychological or physical injury in order for it "[t]o be actionable as 'abusive work environment' harassment." -
United Nations General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly adopts the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which included the recognition of "the urgent need for the universal application to women of the rights and principles with regard to equality, security, liberty, integrity, and dignity of all human beings". However, objections were raised by primarily middle eastern countries, making it the first UN Comission to be a diplomatic failure. -
Lawsuit Against Clinton
Paula Jones files a sexual harassment suit against President Bill Clinton. In 1998, Clinton settles the case with Jones for $850,000. President Clinton has been publicly accused of sexual misconduct by two other women: Juanita Broaddrick (1978) and Kathleen Willey (1993). -
EEOC v. Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America
Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America agrees to pay $34 million to settle a sexual harassment case that had been filed by the EEOC on behalf of a class of female employees. In a response, thousands of MMMA workers gather to protest against the lawsuit. Several women said while sexual harassment did take place at the Mitsubishi plant in Normal, that it is no worse than sexual harassment anywhere in the American workforce. -
Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services
The U.S. Supreme Court, in Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, sets the precedent for same-sex harassment. The Court held that Title VII's protection against workplace discrimination "because of... sex" applied to harassment in the workplace between members of the same sex. -
Faragher v. City of Boca Raton, Florida
In 1992, two years after resigning from her job as a lifeguard due to the events happening in work, Faragher, a college student, filed suit under Title VII and Florida law, alleging that the two supervisors created a sexually hostile work environment and that, as agents for Boca Raton, they made the city liable for nominal damages, costs, and lawyer fees. The U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of Faragher, that employers are liable for harassment by their employees. -
Accusations Against Bill Cosby
Former Temple University basketball staffer Andrea Constand files a lawsuit against comedian Bill Cosby, alleging that he sexually assaulted her. Thirteen other women also come forward with allegations that Bill Cosby assaulted them. In 2014, after comedian Hannibal Buress performs a comedy routine about existing rape allegations against Bill Cosby, more women come forward against Cosby. In all, 59 women accuse the comedian of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment. -
Jackson v. Birmingham Board of Education
Jackson, a former teacher at Birmingham High School, claimed he was fired for complaining that the girl's basketball team were denied equal treatment at the highschool. The U.S. Supreme Court rules against Jackson, stating that it is illegal to retaliate against someone for reporting sexual harassment. -
"Me Too" Coined
Tarana Burke coins the phrase "Me Too" to raise awareness about sexual violence and abuse. -
Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Co. v. White
In Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Co. v. White, the standard for retaliation against a sexual harassment complainant is set to include any employer actions that would be likely to dissuade a reasonable employee or applicant from making or supporting a charge of discrimination. -
Crawford v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
The U.S. Supreme Court holds in Crawford v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County that employees who provide unfavorable evidence during an informal investigation of workplace sexual harassment are protected from employer retaliation. -
Reeves v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit rules in Reeves v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. that a hostile work environment can be created in a workplace where there is sexually explicit language and pornography, even if it is not targeted against any particular worker. -
Fox News Lawsuit
Fox News Channel anchor Gretchen Carlson files a sexual harassment lawsuit against Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes. Several other employees step forward with reports of sexual harassment. Roger Ailes resigns from Fox, receiving $40 million in an exit agreement, and goes to work on President Donald Trump's campaign. -
Women's Marches in Response to Trump
Following the inauguration of President Donald Trump, millions of women's rights and civil rights activists march at more than 600 events across the United States. The protests are in part brought on by Trump's disparaging comments about women that were said during the campaign as well as his sexually aggressive comments that surfaced in a video from 2005 -
Title IX in Education/Schools
The U.S. Department of Education, under Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, announces that it is rescinding policy set under the Obama Administration that provides guidance on how schools should handle sexual assaults under Title IX federal law. The guidelines are rescinded after DeVos expresses concerns that they go too far and deny proper due process to the accused. -
#MeToo Movement
Actress Alyssa Milano turns "Me Too" into a movement with her tweet telling those who have been sexually harassed or assaulted to reply with a #MeToo hashtag.
