Social media often blurs the line between personal and professional lives, creating new and surprising opportunities for discrimination. A Philadelphia woman and her colleague are now suing their employer because of sexual discrimination by coworkers that they claim occurred on social media.
The two women are flight attendants serving with American Airlines, and claim that the company is liable for sexual discrimination because of comments made by other employees on social media. According to the plaintiffs, the company has a policy restricting employees from insulting or discriminating against fellow employees on social media, a policy the company apparently failed to enforce. The company has addressed the allegations, claiming that they are groundless. It remains to be seen how the courts will rule in the matter, and what the case may mean for similar complaints in many industries.
The plaintiff from Philadelphia claims that she suffered sexual discrimination and harassment by male employees after she made it known that she was seeking a union position. She also made it clear that some confidential personal information about her had been posted on social media. Her colleague who is joining her in the suit also claims that she experienced similar sexual harassment and discrimination when she resigned from her union position.
Sexual discrimination can take place in surprising venues. Depending on the nature of the offense, it is entirely possible that job-related sexual discrimination may occur outside the physical workplace. If you believe that you have suffered from workplace discrimination of any kind, do not hesitate to enlist the guidance of an experienced attorney who can help protect your rights as you pursue justice.
Source: New Jersey Herald, “Flight attendants sue American Airlines over Facebook posts,” March 12, 2017
