• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Bolek Besser Glesius LLC

Bolek Besser Glesius LLC

Devoted to Justice

  • Home
  • Practice Areas
    • Employment Law
      • Wrongful Termination
      • Workplace Retaliation & Whistleblower Cases
      • Sexual Harassment
      • Age Discrimination Attorney
      • Disability Discrimination
      • Pregnancy Discrimination
      • Race Discrimination
      • Family Medical Leave Act
      • Overtime Pay and Minimum Wage
      • Employment Contracts & Severance Packages
      • Restrictive Covenants & Non-Compete Agreements
      • Executive Compensation
      • View All
    • First Amendment Lawyers
      • Ohio Free Speech Attorneys
        • Government Employee Free Speech
        • Student Free Speech Rights in Ohio
        • Significant Ohio Free Speech Cases
      • Religious Freedom
    • Appellate Practice
    • Small Business Litigation
  • About Us
    • Cathleen M. Bolek
    • Matthew D. Besser
    • Amy S. Glesius
    • Kelly S. Rochotte
  • Results
  • FAQ
  • Articles
  • BBG Newsroom
  • Contact
  • Blog
(216) 464-3004
Contact Us Now
GET HELP NOW
CALL US NOW

Sexual Harassment and Retaliation at Dunder Mifflin

February 21, 2013 By Matthew Besser Leave a Comment

If you watch NBC’s The Office, it should come as no surprise that the antics at Dunder Mifflin often bump up against the workplace employment laws. This week’s episode provides an example of how workplace romance can lead to a sexual harassment or retaliation claim.

Last season, Manager Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) had a consensual romantic relationship with Receptionist Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper). But Erin recently broke up with Andy, and he has had trouble accepting the relationship is over. In last week’s episode, Andy crossed the line. He learned that Erin started dating co-worker Pete. Incensed, Andy called Pete into a meeting and fired him for dating Erin. Although HR stepped in and stopped the firing, Andy continued to harass Erin and Pete about their relationship. Andy’s actions violate the anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation provisions of Title VII and its Ohio equivalent, Revised Code Chapter 4112.

Both Ohio and federal law outlaw so-called “quid pro quo” sexual harassment. Quid pro quo harassment happens when a supervisor conditions receiving a job benefit or avoiding a negative job consequence on consenting to the supervisor’s romantic or sexual advances. Even if the supervisor and employee previously had a consensual relationship, the harassment could be illegal.

In The Office, had Andy fired Erin because she broke up with him, there would be an obvious claim of sexual harassment. But the situation here is slightly different because Andy fired new-boyfriend Pete, not Erin. Had HR not stepped in, would Pete have any claim? Quite possibly.

By refusing Andy’s unwanted romantic advances, Erin engaged in “protected activity” under Title VII and Chapter 4112. Employees who engage in protected activity — essentially, opposing a discriminatory workplace practice or participating in an investigation into such a practice — are protected from retaliation. In 2011, the Supreme Court held in Thompson v. North American Stainless, 131 S. Ct. 863 (2011), that this protection also extends to employees who are closely related to or associated with an employee who engages in protected activity. That case involved a fiancé. Whether a boyfriend is protected from retaliation remains to be seen. So Pete might have a claim of associational retaliation.

It’s true that art imitates life. And while this storyline from The Office is fictional, sexual harassment and retaliation in the workplace are not, and they often go hand-in-hand. Victims get harassed. They get fired. In some cases, they are even subject to workplace violence or sexual assault. That’s not a laughing matter. The lesson for employees is to understand their right to be free from workplace sexual harassment and retaliation . . . and to be wary of workplace romances, especially with a supervisor or manager.

Filed Under: Retaliation, Sexual harassment

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Best Law Firms - Regional Tier 1 BadgeBest Lawyers Amy Glesius Lawyer of the Year BadgeMartindale AV Rated BadgeSuper Lawyers Top 100 Badge BBB Accredited Business BadgeMillion Dollar Advocates Badge

Contact Us Now

  • Hidden
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

U.S. News Best Law Firms 2019 BadgeBest Lawyers Amy Glesius Lawyer of the Year BadgeSuper Lawyers Top 100 BadgeMartindale AV Rated BadgeBest Law Firms - Regional Tier 1 Badge

Contact Us Now

  • Hidden
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Footer

Social

Follow along on social media.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Our Cleveland Office

Monarch Centre

5885 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 302

Cleveland, OH 44124

Contact Now

Phone: 216-464-3004

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy

Contact Our Firm

Monarch Centre

5885 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 302

Cleveland, OH 44124

Contact Now

Phone: 216-464-3004

Disclaimer

Copyright © 2025 · Business Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • Home
  • Practice Areas
    ▼
    • Employment Law
      ▼
      • Wrongful Termination
      • Workplace Retaliation & Whistleblower Cases
      • Sexual Harassment
      • Age Discrimination Attorney
      • Disability Discrimination
      • Pregnancy Discrimination
      • Race Discrimination
      • Family Medical Leave Act
      • Overtime Pay and Minimum Wage
      • Employment Contracts & Severance Packages
      • Restrictive Covenants & Non-Compete Agreements
      • Executive Compensation
      • View All
    • First Amendment Lawyers
      ▼
      • Ohio Free Speech Attorneys
        ▼
        • Government Employee Free Speech
        • Student Free Speech Rights in Ohio
        • Significant Ohio Free Speech Cases
      • Religious Freedom
    • Appellate Practice
    • Small Business Litigation
  • About Us
    ▼
    • Cathleen M. Bolek
    • Matthew D. Besser
    • Amy S. Glesius
    • Kelly S. Rochotte
  • Results
  • FAQ
  • Articles
  • BBG Newsroom
  • Contact
  • Blog