Robyn Chambers v. Trettco, Inc. d/b/a HDS, et al.

Civil Rights - employment - sexual harassment - Defendant, a corporation engaged in managing food service operations for various businesses, hired plaintiff as a temporary cook in June, 1995, intending to use plaintiff in various locations pending possible placement in a permanent position. Defendant initially assigned plaintiff to take the place of a cook at ADP, Inc., in Ann Arbor. During this assignment, while the regular on-site supervisor was on vacation, defendant assigned a temporary supervisor, Paul Wolshon. Plaintiff alleged that Wolshon immediately commenced a pattern of sexually harassing plaintiff. Plaintiff filed suit against defendant, alleging assault, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and retaliatory discharge.

Plaintiff's verdict on her claim of sexual harassment for an unknown sum. The jury found that defendant failed to take prompt remedial action after it knew of should have known that plaintiff had been sexually harassed.

Unknown

Unknown

Affirmed by the Court of Appeals of Michigan that Wolshon's conduct was sufficiently severe enough to be actionable. See: 591 N.W.2d 413 (Mich.App. 1998). The date shown above is the date of the appellate court decision and not the trial date.

reversed by the Michigan Supreme Court by a 7 - 2 decision on July 31, 2000, and was remanded back to the Michigan Court of Appeals for reconsideration. The Michigan Supreme Court found that prevailing Michigan law, and not more recent US Supreme Court decisions, should have been used by the courts when deciding this case, and that the defendant did take prompt remedial action once plantiff had given notice of the sexual harassment.

The Michigan Court of Appeals, upon remand, decided February 19, 2001 in favor of the defendant.