Ample Evidence of FCC Hostile Work Environment, Staffer Says in Defending Suit
That FCC staffer Sharon Stewart was regularly exposed to pornography at work over six years, despite pleas to a co-worker to stop loudly watching on his workplace computer, is proof enough of a severe and pervasive issue creating a hostile…
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work environment, Stewart said Friday in an opposition (in Pacer) to the FCC's bid for summary judgment on her workplace retaliation lawsuit (see 1701300014). Stewart said the FCC conceded that coordinating Communications Act Section 610 reports was a major part of her job and could have led to a grade increase, until that work was taken from her after she filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint. Stewart said her supervisor knew about her complaints but did nothing to address them and never spoke to her about how the issue might have affected her work after an FCC Office of the Inspector General investigation confirmed the pornography viewing. Stewart disputed the agency argument she hadn't exhausted her administrative remedies since she brought all of her complaints to the FCC's attention during the EEOC administrative process and said she was within her rights to withdraw her request for an EEOC hearing in good faith to file the litigation. The commission didn't comment Monday.