Kerans v. Porter Paint Co.

Kerans v. Porter Paint Co.
Seal of the Supreme Court of Ohio
CourtSupreme Court of Ohio
Full case name Kerans et al. v. Porter Paint Company
DecidedAugust 21, 1991
Citations575 N.E.2d 428 (OH 1991)
61 Ohio St.3d 486
Transcript[1]
Case history
Prior actionAppeal from summary judgment for defendant
Holding
An employer has a duty to provide a safe work environment and may be liable for an employee's sexual harassment that it knew or should have known about.
Court membership
Judges sittingThomas J. Moyer, Alice Robie Resnick, A. William Sweeney, Andrew Douglas, Herbert R. Brown, Robert E. Holmes, J. Craig Wright
Case opinions
Majority by Resnick
Dissent by Moyer

Kerans v. Porter Paint Co.[1] was a leading case in Ohio on employer liability for workplace sexual harassment. In an opinion by Alice Robie Resnick, the court held that victims of harassment could bring tort claims against their employers. Resnick held that the psychological and emotional damages suffered by victims of harassment were not injuries under Ohio's workers' compensation statute, and employers were vicariously liable for the sexual harassment of their employees when they knew or should have known about the harassment.

Notes

  1. ^ 61 Ohio St.3d 486, 575 N.E.2d 428 (OH 1991)