United States Fourth Circuit

Dismissal of complaint for failing to state a claim for retaliation for complaining about a hostile work environment in violation of Title VII is affirmed where: 1) the complaint does not describe a workplace permeated by racism, threats of violence, improper interference with work, or conduct resulting in psychological harm; and 2) no objectively reasonable person could have believed that plaintiff's office was in the grips of a hostile work environment or that one was taking shape.

Appellate Information

• Argued 03/14/2006
• Decided 05/12/2006
• Published 05/12/2006

Judges

• Before WIDENER, NIEMEYER, and KING, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  Stephen Zak Chertkof, Heller, Huron, Chertkof, Lerner, Simon & Salzman, P.L.L.C., Washington, D.C., for Appellant.  Paul D. Ramshaw, United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Appellate Services, Washington, D.C., for Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Amicus Supporting Appellant.  William C. Sammons, Tydings & Rosenberg, Baltimore, Maryland, for Appellees.   ON BRIEF:  Douglas B. Huron, Tammany M. Kramer, Heller, Huron, Chertkof, Lerner, Simon & Salzman, P.L.L.C., Washington, D.C., for Appellant.  Marc R. Jacobs, Seyfarth Shaw, L.L.P., Chicago, Illinois, for Appellee Alternative Resources Corporation;  J. Hardin Marion, Melvina C. Ford, Tydings & Rosenberg, Baltimore, Maryland, for Appellee International Business Machines Corporation.  R. Scott Oswald, Employment Law Group, P.L.L.C., Washington, D.C., for The Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association and Public Justice Center, Amici Supporting Appellant.  Eric S. Dreiband, General, Vincent J. Blackwood, Acting Associate General, United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Washington, D.C., for Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Amicus Supporting Appellant.