Kathleen M. Anderson v. Janet Reno, Attorney General

190 F.3d 930, 99 Daily Journal DAR 9369, 99 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 7379, 1999 U.S. App. LEXIS 21387, 76 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 46,045, 80 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1663, 1999 WL 692017
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedSeptember 8, 1999
Docket98-16458
StatusPublished
Cited by58 cases

This text of 190 F.3d 930 (Kathleen M. Anderson v. Janet Reno, Attorney General) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kathleen M. Anderson v. Janet Reno, Attorney General, 190 F.3d 930, 99 Daily Journal DAR 9369, 99 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 7379, 1999 U.S. App. LEXIS 21387, 76 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 46,045, 80 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1663, 1999 WL 692017 (9th Cir. 1999).

Opinion

SILVERMAN, Circuit Judge:

Kathleen Anderson, a 20-year veteran of the FBI, brought a Title VII action alleging sexual harassment in the workplace occurring over many years. In granting the defendant’s motion for summary judgment concerning the claim of a hostile work environment, the district court declined to consider any allegedly relevant incident that did not occur within 45 days prior to the initiation of EEO proceedings. We hold today that Anderson has shown that the excluded incidents were part of a pattern of alleged discrimination that also allegedly existed within the 45-day period, and thus should have been considered under the continuing violation doctrine. We also hold that Anderson came forward with sufficient evidence to defeat a motion for summary judgment on whether the defendant had a non-discriminatory, non-pretextual explanation relating to the issues of disparate treatment and retaliation. We reverse and remand for trial.

*933 FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND 2

Kathleen Anderson, who had been a special agent of the FBI for 20 years, brought this action under Title VII alleging that she was sexually harassed by Bureau employees, including some of her supervisors, over a period of 11 years. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of the defendant on all counts. Anderson’s claims fall into three main categories: hostile work environment, disparate treatment in the workplace, and retaliation. The following facts — -some of which are contested — are drawn from Anderson’s own declaration and other materials Anderson submitted in response to the motion for summary judgment.

A. Hostile work environment

First, Anderson alleges that her supervisors created a hostile work environment. Specifically, she alleges that from 1986 to 1990, William Smith, Anderson’s supervisor, called her “gorgeous” and “the good little girl,” instead of referring to her by name. He whistled at Anderson, called her “the office sex goddess,” “sexy,” and told her about her sexual desirability.

In addition to those specific acts of discrimination directed at her, Anderson alleges that she endured similar acts by fellow FBI employees. In 1987, Anderson entered a briefing room to present an arrest plan to her fellow agents. Waiting for her was an easel containing a drawing of a pair of breasts and the words, “Operation Cupcake.” Humiliated and embarrassed, Anderson turned to Smith, a supervisor, for assistance. Instead, he said in front of the assembled group, “This is your training bra session.”

In 1987, someone left for Anderson a copy of a rejection letter supposedly sent to a female FBI applicant by J. Edgar Hoover that stated, “We do not employ women [because] we must have agents who are qualified to cope with any situation they may face.” Handwritten on the note was a message to Anderson: “KMA ... even Big John said it (so it must be so).”

Additionally, Anderson says that she received various vulgar items circulated by unidentified fellow employees including a cartoon depicting varieties of female breasts with her initials scrawled next to an example labeled “cranberries,” a copy of an article concluding that women who read “racy” books have more sex, accompanied with a note that read, “KMA — read any good books lately?” and a greeting card that said, “Some of us at the office were wondering ... when you were planning to come into the office naked.”

According to Anderson, Smith discouraged her from seeking promotions because people might “misunderstand [her] strong personality” and downgraded her performance. Despite the fact that she had served previously as relief supervisor, Smith constantly passed her over for promotion, selecting men as acting supervisors. Smith also excluded Anderson from critical meetings in her own cases.

In 1990, Anderson asked a fellow agent, Adrian Coulter, to assist her in transferring to the Organized Crime Squad in the San 'Jose office. Eight years earlier, Anderson and Coulter had had a brief consensual sexual relationship. Although he eventually assisted her with the transfer, Coulter continually reminded Anderson of their sexual relationship and asked to rekindle it on numerous occasions. In 1991, Anderson was transferred to the Organized Crime Squad where Coulter worked as an agent. Coulter continued to solicit Anderson for sex, stating that “she owed him.”

In July, 1991, Coulter became Anderson’s supervisor. Coulter continued to remind Anderson of their previous sexual encounter, telling her that “he was good in bed.” During this period, Coulter commented on Anderson’s weight and the size *934 of her hips, and told her that her husband was “too small” for her. He also told Anderson that he was attracted to another female agent and asked Anderson why the other agent would not sleep around.

Over the next three years, according to Anderson, Coulter made unwanted and sexually suggestive comments to her and discussed women’s roles in the FBI. He referred to Janet Reno as Anderson’s “sister.” Coulter told Anderson that criminals involved in organized crime, the target of the squad’s efforts, would not pay attention to women. He then proceeded to exclude her from critical interrogations. After Anderson complained to him about that, Coulter told her that if she wanted better cases, she should “go to the girls at the BNE [California’s Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement].”

In 1994, Coulter continued to direct sexually harassing comments to Anderson. In May, Coulter continually pestered Anderson to go drinking with him. The following month, Coulter patted her on the buttocks and told her that she was “putting on weight down there.”

B. Disparate treatment in the workplace

In addition to her claim of being subjected to a hostile work environment, Anderson alleges that she was not treated equally by her supervisors in work assignments and assistance. She claims that while working on an organized crime investigation, Coulter refused to provide her with personnel to monitor an informant and a wiretap that she had set up. This, despite the fact that Coulter provided male agents with the support that they required.

C. Retaliation

Finally, Anderson claims that her Bureau supervisors retaliated against her for filing EEO complaints. Specifically, she alleges that in 1994, in retaliation for having initiated EEO administrative counseling, she was reassigned to the “Regional Drug Intelligence Squad” (RDIS), a then-nonexistent unit, a move that would impair her chances for advancement. She also alleges that in 1997, after she already commenced her lawsuit, she was transferred from a desirable FBI-DEA joint operation because certain of her co-workers did not want to work with a woman who had filed EEO complaints.

RULING BELOW

As previously noted, the district court granted summary judgment to the defendants on all counts. With respect to Anderson’s hostile work environment claim, the district court declined to consider any incident occurring prior to August 6, 1994.

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Bluebook (online)
190 F.3d 930, 99 Daily Journal DAR 9369, 99 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 7379, 1999 U.S. App. LEXIS 21387, 76 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 46,045, 80 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1663, 1999 WL 692017, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kathleen-m-anderson-v-janet-reno-attorney-general-ca9-1999.