Female Prison Workers in Florida Awarded $630,000 for Inmates' Sexual Harassment
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I’ve long advised my clients that they can be held liable for sexual harassment of their employees by third parties such as customers. If the employer knows or should know of the harassment, and fails to take prompt immediate action, the employer can be held liable, just as if the customer was a co-worker of the harassed employee. A variation of that principle -- involving prisoners rather than customers -- was illustrated recently in a case in the Southern District of Florida, Beckford v. Florida (S.D. Fla., No. 2:06-CV-14324-JEM). The plaintiffs were 14 female prison employees who alleged that the state’s Department of corrections allowed a sexually hostile work environment to flourish by failing to prevent their exposure to lewd behavior by male inmates. According to the Daily Labor Report, the female employees were required by their jobs to enter the inmates’ dormitories, where the inmates were often unclothed or partially dressed, and would masturbate at the women – a behavior known as “gunning.” The Department claimed it took appropriate disciplinary action against the offending inmates. The all-male jury disagreed.
First of all, hiring women to work in a prison with males or hiring men to work in a prison with females is inviting trouble to start with. Prisons should follow this example: men only in male prison areas. women only in female prison areas. simple. a female should never be present in a male prison with the exception of visitation with supervision. And a male should never be present in a female prison, except for visitation with supervision. problem solved. females should not work anywhere near male prisoners and men should not work anywhere near female prisoners.
I see no problem with women working in the offices related to mens prisons. But as guards? Or anywhere inside the actual prison? Absolutely not. However - being that these women knew they were going to work in a mens prison, it makes little sense that they would be awarded $630,000 for doing their job. Male guards have to do it, so do they want equal treatment or not?