Hat Six Homes, Inc.,. v. State, 6 P.3d 1287 (WY 2000)

Hat Six Homes, Inc. (the petitioner) challenged the district court's decision affirming an employee's claim for unemployment benefits with the Wyoming Department of Employment, Unemployment Insurance Commission. The district court determined that the employee had quit her employment for good cause under WY Stat § 27-3-311(a)(i) (1997). In this case, the employee left her employment because of sexual harassment and hostile work environment. This included the president of the company touching her under her shirt and behind her knees in an unwelcome manner, and continuing this behavior after the employee asked him to stop. Additionally, conduct of the vice-president created a tension that “could [be] cut . . . with a knife . . .” On several occasions, the vice-president threw around staplers and cellular phones and yelled at customers and other employees. The Supreme Court of Wyoming affirmed the district court’s decision, holding that this conduct on the part of Hat Six Homes, Inc. sufficed for the determination that employee had quit her employment for good cause.

Topics

• Employment discrimination
• Sexual harassment

Geographical location

• North America
• United States
• Wyoming

Keywords

• abuse of authority
• harassment
• hostile work environment

Year

• 2000

External URL

• Hat Six Homes, Inc.,. v. State, 6 P.3d 1287 (WY 2000)

Court

• Wyoming Supreme Court

Type

• Domestic Case Law

Jurisdiction

• Wyoming