Woman Sues Over ‘Miniskirt Mondays’

You think you've got it bad at work? Meet Trudy Nycole Anderson.

You think you’ve got it bad at work? Meet Trudy Nycole Anderson.

New York Daily News (“Woman sues boss for ‘Mini-skirt Monday’ dress code, claims she was sexually harassed for years“):

While many offices have dress codes, one Utah County woman claims her former employer crossed the line by trying to force her to follow a sexist schedule of attire including “Mini-skirt Monday.”

In a civil complaint filed last week in U.S. District Court, Trudy Nycole Anderson, 44, says her ex-supervisor Derek Wright sexually harassed her for years, even giving her a provocative memo dictating what she should wear for the week.

On top of “Mini-skirt Monday,” the schedule called for “Tube-top Tuesday,” “Wet T-shirt Wednesday,” “No bra Thursday” and “Bikini top Friday,” according to the Salt-Lake Tribune which obtained a copy of the complaint.

Wright, the owner of Lone Peak Controls and D&L Electric Control Company, was Anderson’s supervisor for nearly four years.

During that time, according to the complaint, he “repeatedly asked Ms. Anderson about her breast size and talked about her breasts in front of other employees.” She also claims he slapped her on the buttocks, asked her to expose her breasts, and taunted her about whether she shaved her pubic area, according to the Tribune. Wright regularly harassed her coworkers as well, Anderson says, and watched pornography in his office.

While I approve of his alliterative scheduling, this seems a bit over-the-top.

(I realize the story is somewhat old. A different version of it was inexplicably promoted beneath a Daily Beast report on Middle East policy that I was reading.)

FILED UNDER: Economics and Business, Gender Issues, Law and the Courts, Middle East, , ,
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Nikki says:

    Well, if she still has a copy of the memo, guess it’s payday for her.

  2. Neil Hudelson says:

    He seemed to have lost his creative drive ““No bra Thursday” and “Bikini top Friday,”

  3. Neil Hudelson says:

    Also–and by no means do I think age has anything to do individually with attractiveness–wouldn’t his efforts have been better aimed at a bit younger coworker?

  4. Hey Norm says:

    I think it is these harrassment regulations, and petty complaints like this woman’s, that are creating an atmosphere of uncertainty which is holding back the economy.
    Or else it’s demand.
    I’m not sure which.

  5. Tlaloc says:

    It amazes me when, in this day and age, idiots think they can get away with this kind of blatant sexism in the workplace. Were they in a coma through the entire 90s?

  6. Nikki says:

    Also–and by no means do I think age has anything to do individually with attractiveness–wouldn’t his efforts have been better aimed at a bit younger coworker?

    Nope, because this kind of harassment is about power. Any woman would fill the role.

  7. Richard Gardner says:

    In the PNW, the complaints have been about the Sexpresso stands with scantily clad ladies, ysually with the employees realizing wearing a bikini top (or pasties, before that was outlawed) is a condition of employment. Some lasses flashed for extra tips, which got them arrested for prostitution (Everettt WA). There are even a few places with shirtless young men, and a few have bikini women 6 days a week and one day equal opportunity with shirtless males. Its equal parts entertainment and coffee. I say if you don’t like it, don’t go there, and there will be another espresso stand within a half mile.

    But the funny part is when someone pulls up to a place not realizing it is equal opportunity (male) day.

  8. Barb Hartwell says:

    I can not understand why she stayed long enough for all this to happen. The guy is a jerk for sure but he must have been joking around I would have laughed it off.

  9. Eric Florack says:

    Scott Brown Glad Elizabeth Warren Didn’t Pose Nude . And…Woman Sues Over ‘Miniskirt Mondays’ More proof that feminism was created to give unattractive women better access to the mainstream of society. As if there was ever any doubt.

  10. Davebo says:

    More proof that feminism was created to give unattractive women better access to the mainstream of society.

    Amazingly Bithead attaches his picture to this comment! Seriously, I’ve seen better looking heads on pimples!

    At least we know Bithead isn’t two faced, cause if he was he wouldn’t wear that one.

    Tip your waitresses, I’m here all week.

  11. James Joyner says:

    @Eric Florack: Meh. I don’t know what this woman looked like but, surely, this is a sufficiently hostile workplace climate that nobody at an “electric control company” ought to have to put up with it. And Elizabeth Warren is a pretty good looking 62-year-old. (Which is probably why I’m not offended by Brown’s joke.)

  12. Eric Florack says:

    My comment was half-joiking, James… but let’s face it,… while the guy is perhaps questionable in the brainbox dept, the woman wouldn’t have sued if she figured she could wear the dress. Hmmmm?

  13. Davebo says:

    the woman wouldn’t have sued if she figured she could wear the dress

    Somewhere a titty bar dancer is shedding a tear….

    My comment was half-joiking half rational

  14. anjin-san says:

    Ah, bithead is sharing his knowledge of the fair sex with us. This ought to take all of two seconds…

  15. Davebo says:

    Ah, bithead is sharing his knowledge of the fair sex with us.

    Oh come on anjin-san, Bit get’s lots of action. Just the other day a girl on the internet wanted to chat with him and he knew she really liked him. She didn’t even ask for a credit card number.

    And he love the Home Shopping Network. They don’t have commercials.

  16. anjin-san says:

    And he love the Home Shopping Network

    Don’t forget about the hot babes in the “hippies smell” tshirt ads on OTB…

  17. James Joyner says:

    @anjin-san: Most of the ads are targeted based on user cookies or page content. I notice that, if I’ve looked at some particular product somewhere, the entire Internet will bombard me with ads for that thing for days.

    Clearly, my wife’s been using this computer, as the ads right now are for the New York Times, BMW, a ladies’ razor, Huggies diapers, and JetBlue.