Harassment Claims Go Beyond Physical Workplace, 9th Cir. Says

Employers may be held liable for hostile work environment claims arising from an employee sharing harassing content online that has negative consequences in the workplace, a federal appeals court ruled.

Such harassment claims are actionable under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, regardless of whether the conduct took place in the physical workplace or through online channels, and even if the complainant wasn’t the explicit target, a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said Thursday.

“Given that many employees in today’s world occasionally use or view personal social media from work, a ...