This article, from the New York Times, discusses how Enrichetta Ravina, a professor, has filed a lawsuit against Columbia University for gender discrimination. Another professor was helping her obtain research for a paper that would help her to get tenure at the university. The professor began making comments about watching pornography and his own sexual exploits. He, then, began making forward advances towards her, and she felt compelled to him because he could take the research away from her. Ravina had spent two years preparing for the project, and getting the research taken away from her would cause the project to be derailed. She complained to Columbia officials, but they only dismissed her case. According to Ravina, one official even said that her story was a “soap opera.” Her suit is based on gender discrimination and sexual harassment, and she is asking for $20 million in damages and for more time to apply for tenure. As of now, the university claims that “the university treats allegations of harassment with the utmost seriousness,” and denies any claims that she has made about …show more content…
According to the text book, civil rights refer to equal protection of the law, which would ensure all genders the same rights. In title VII’s prohibition of gender based discrimination extends to sexual harassment in the workplace. Sexual harassment is unwanted physical or verbal conduct of a sexual nature that interferes with a recipient’s job performance, creates a hostile work environment, or carries with it an implicit or explicit threat of adverse employment consequences. This article particularly relates to hostile environment harassment, which is when an employee is subjected to sexual conduct or comments that interfere with the employees jobs. Ravina’s performance on her project that would help her get tenure was affected by the sexual comments from her