Fortive Defeats Ex-Worker’s Harassment Appeal on Lack of Facts

A former employee of a Fortive Corp. subsidiary failed to revive her lawsuit alleging the unit’s president sexually harassed her and that she faced backlash for complaining about it.

The suit’s quid pro quo harassment allegations were lacking because the worker’s description of the alleged conduct only created a mere possibility that the Qualitrol Co. president acted unlawfully, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit said Wednesday. Her amended complaint didn’t cite any sexual comment or physical contact or include allegations supporting an inference that his “conduct was sexual in nature,” the court said.

According to Hayley Reed, ...