European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 10, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday november 10,1993 . The stars and stripes Pago 5 court boosts harassment ,. A. I _ a a. A a a a a ruling makes it easier to prove on the Job sexual Washington apr the supreme court in a ruling of enormous importance to the american workplace has made it easier to prove on the Job sexual harassment. Quot the court tuesday unanimously Rel Vived a Tennessee woman a lawsuit against a former Boss she accuses of off color behaviour. The justices reversed lower court rulings that had thrown out the lawsuit because the woman had failed to prove that her Bossy a conduct had caused her a severe psychological writing for the court Justice Sandra Day of Connor said Federal Law docs bar. Conduct a that would seriously affect a reasonable persons psychological Well but she added that the Law Quot is not limited to such Quot so Long As the environment would reasonably be perceived and is perceived As hostile or abusive there is no need for it also to be psychologically injurious a of Connor said. The High court ruled in 1986 that on the Job sexual harassment is illegal if it is Quot sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of the victims in tuesdays decision of Connor wrote for the court that the 1986 ruling did not create a a mathematically precise Quot whether an environment is a hostile or a abusive can be determined Only by looking at All the circumstances a she said. A these May include the frequency of the discriminatory conduct its severity whether it is physically threatening or humiliating or a Mere offensive utterance and whether it unreasonably interferes with an employees work of Connor said the conducts effect on an employees psychological Well being is relevant but a Odd that Quot no single Factor is Teresa Harris sued her former Boss Charles Hardy after resigning in 1987 from her Job As a manager at forklift systems in Nashville Tenn. Harris said Hardy among other things had asked her to retrieve coins from his front pants pocket suggested they go to a local Motel to negotiate her pay raise and asked if she won a sales contract by pro Viding sexual favors. Tuesday1 decision sends Harris lawsuit against Hardy Back to the 6th . Circuit court of appeals for further study. It was not immediately Clear whether a trial on Harris allegations would be ordered. Tuesdays decision released with one in a unrelated Case was Amon Jhc first two made by a supreme court with two female Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg also wrote a concurring opinion in which she said that tuesdays ruling lets employees win lawsuits if they prove a reasonable person would find that the conduct Quot so altered working conditions As to make it More difficult to do the attack Manassas a. Apy a a Man whose Penis was Cut off by his wife took the stand tuesday and denied that he sexually assaulted her beforehand. John Wayne Bobbitt described initially of cycling a a a tug of his Penis when his wife sliced it off with a fillet knife Asne slept on the night of june 23. A it Hurt a lot Quot he said. Bobbitt said he did hot realize at first what had happened. Quot i grabbed myself. I jumped up a he said. Bobbitt said he then woke up House guest Robert Johnson and asked him to take him to the Hospital. He answered a a not when he was asked whether he had Ever attacked his wife sexually and or told her As she had claimed that forced sex excited him. Bobbitt 26, is charged with marital sexual assault. His wife Lofena Bobbitt 24, faces her own trial nov. 29 on a malicious wounding charge her attorney has said he will Likely use a temporary insanity defense. Each spouse could be sentenced to 20 years in prison if convicted. John Bobbitt admitted creating a list of women he had slept with but denied a prosecution suggestion that he tormented his wife with it. A commonwealths attorney Paul b. Ebert tossed the list which appeared to be a single Page of Handwritten notes before John Bobbitt and Asl cd whether he had read the list to his wife a few Days before the incident. Quot it was my own private copy. I did no to show that to her Ever a he said. He said that the couple had discussed separating. They were married in 1989. Lorena Bobbitt testified monday that her husband had pinned her to the bed and raped her in their Manassas apartment. After he fell asleep she said a i lifted the sheets and i Cut the prosecution rested earlier tuesday and Prince William county circuit court judge Leroy f. Millette or. Denied a routine defense request to dismiss the charge. Lorena Bobbitt is escorted to court in Manassas va., by attorney James Lowe As her husband John Wayne Bobbitt arrives nearby with an unidentified woman. In morning testimony a court Counselor Steven rogue said Lorena Bobbitt came to his office two Days before the incident and asked about court Protection. She complained that her husband physically and sexually abused her rogue said. "1 basically told her in a concerned for her safety because of what she told me Quot rogue said. To get a court order protecting her Lorena Bobbitt would have had to appear before a judge. Rogue said she decided not to appear and said she would return later in the week. She never came Back. Also tuesday Johnson the House guest Quot said that he and John Bobbitt went out drinking on the night of june 23, and that Bobbitt had five Beers and two mixed drinks. Johnson said that Between 4 . And 5 . John Bob Bitt awakened him and he went into the bathroom. A i saw Johns reflection in the Mirror. I saw the blood. I 1c said tvs got to go to the a Johnson described his longtime Friend As a a Peac Cabie person always defense claims Lorena Bobbitt had consented to sex was upset Over insensitive lovemaking and Only later claimed she was forced to have sex. In her testimony Lorena Bobbitt described How she fled from the apartment still clutching the Penis and the fillet knife. She said she realized she was still holding the Organ Midway Between the apartment and the Salon where she works As a manicurist. Quot i screamed and i threw it Quot out of the car window she said. Closer investigation of child deaths urged Washington a defense Secretary los Aspin has no plans to resign and a continually gets assurances Quot president Clinton is satisfied with him a Pentagon spokeswoman said tuesday. A there Are no plans for anyone Here to resign a spokeswoman Kathleen Delaski said at a Pentagon briefing. Delaski was asked about published reports faulting Aspinw a performance such As one in the los Angeles times on sunday. The newspaper quoted unidentified senior White House officials and members of Congress As calling Aspin the weak link in the administration s National Security team. A i Challenge the premise of those reports a Delaski said. A we continually get assurances that the president is satisfied very satisfied with Secretary Aspinw a per Delaski added that Aspin met monday night at the White House with the president to Brief him on the . Military role in Somalia but said she was told the topic was a strictly the spokeswoman also discounted As a six month old gossip some published reports that said the Secretary would resign for health reasons. A the has boundless Energy Quot and outlasted her and reporters who accompanied him to Japan and South Korea last week the spokeswoman said. Aspin had a pacemaker implanted earlier this year after a heart problem flared anew. A a he a showing no symptoms that alarm him or his doctor Quot she added. Delaski also contended that Aspinw so Tiger teams a specially formed to help manage policy for trouble spots such As Haiti Somalia Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Korea have been a working very but she declined to discuss How. Aspin came under scathing attack on Capitol Hill following a Street Battle in Mogadishu last month that killed 18 americans and wounded 77, particularly after the Secretary acknowledged that he had rejected a request for additional armoured vehicles. Some officers contend the vehicles might have averted Many of the deaths. In a televised interview sunday Clinton said Aspin and Secretary of state Warren m. Christopher Are a doing the Best they can a and White House officials later disputed assertions that the comment was Only a lukewarm , 92, kills intruder Chicago a a 92-year-old woman in a wheelchair shot and killed a teen Ager trying to Rob her in her Home police said. The state attorneys office ruled that the shooting was justified and said no charges would be filed against the woman Bessie Jones. The intruder who was not Immen. Lately identified was pushing Jones around in her wheelchair and thought she was reaching for Cash and jewelry when she pulled a gun out of a Dresser drawer and shot him in the Throat police said. Neighbors said Jones had been the victim of at least one other break in during the past month
