Hostile work environment is a category of sexual discrimination prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX). Title VII protects employees from discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, and national origin, and it applies to employers with 15 or more employees. Title VII is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Title IX applies to recipients of federal aid and is enforced by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of Education. This entry describes the application of the law on hostile work environment in the context of higher education.

[Page 260]Hostile work environment can apply to any of the protected classes under ...