This memo is in regards to the case that has been brought against Teddy’s Supplies (Teddy’s) by Ms. Virginia Pollard, an employee of Teddy’s. I have been asked to review the case and determine if Teddy’s has any liability issues and what particular points I feel are relevant.
To begin, I do feel that Teddy’s is liable on several points, including the fact that Ms. Pollard was a victim of gender based harassment at Teddy’s, and that this fact was not only known and seen by a supervisor, but also participated in by same supervisor. Despite the fact that Ms. Pollard did not file a formal complaint against her co-workers or supervisor based on her experiences, it may be understood that she felt threatened by the continued and apparently sanctioned abuse. When she attempted to report the incidents to her supervisor, Mr. King, he responded in additional harassing statements. Furthermore, Ms. Pollard had a recent performance review that rated her work as ‘exemplary’ and did not include any complaints. In addition, Ms. Pollard was the victim of repeated verbal jokes and physical harassment.
Regarding the comments from other employees concerning the case, I feel these should not be considered as they are merely circumstantial and not factually related to the incidents described. The complainant’s points are particularly damaging in that her supervisor was the one who created the hostile environment that led to the sex-based harassment at Teddy’s.
I have been asked to extrapolate on potential damages that may be awarded in this case if it were lost. As may be surmised, I feel that Teddy’s is in serious trouble based on the negligent actions of its employee, Mr. King, and the unfortunate behaviors presented by the workers in Ms. Pollard’s immediate work area. I feel that a conservative award in this case may be at least $300,000. This is calculated on a similar case that