California Court Finds Indirect Sexual Harassment Unlawful

Unlawful sexual harassment based on a hostile work environment requires unwelcome or unwanted conduct based on a worker’s sex that also occurs with such severity or frequency to impact that worker’s working conditions, job performance or work environment. Usually, this conduct is directed at the worker.

Recently though, the California Court of Appeal explored how secondhand knowledge of inappropriate, sex-based conduct may impact a work environment and lead to unlawful sexual harassment (Carranza v. City of Los Angeles, No. B327196, (May 23, 2025)).

An Indecent Photograph