Review “Vickers v. Fairfield Medical Center” in Chapter 4 and respond to the following:

Discuss how the majority distinguished Vicker’s claim from the plaintiff in the Price-Waterhouse case.

The majority distinguished that Price Waterhouse extends only to behavior and appearances that manifest themselves in the workplace, and not to private sexual behavior, beliefs, or practices that an employee might adopt or show in a different place. It concludes that Vickers’s bullies were motivated by Vicker’s perceived sexual preferences by his coworkers and not by ‘outward workplace manifestation of less-than-masculine gender characteristics’ (Halbert 127).

Explain whether or not there is an ethical difference between harassment based on stereotypes perceived as manifesting at work and those perceived as manifesting elsewhere.

There is no difference between harassment based on stereotypes perceived at work or elsewhere. It does not matter if harassment occurs at work or offsite, harassment is unethical and bad. Harassment is a manner involving troubling or unwelcomed commentaries which creates a hostile and unproductive environment.

A 16-year old boy was harassed because his voice was soft, his physique slight, his hair long, and he wore an earring to work. Explain whether or not he has a valid claim for sexual harassment.

16 years old boy would have a valid claim for sexual harassment if the harasser made sexual advances, where the harasser is driven by general aggression to the presence of men in the workplace; and where the plaintiff offers “direct comparative evidence about how the alleged harasser treated members of both sexes in a mixed sex workplace” (Halbert & Ingulli, 2009).