105 Iowa L. Rev. 771 (2020)

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Abstract

The #MeToo era will likely lead to an increased number of sexual harassment claims. The movement has additionally highlighted the diverging ways that sexual harassment is perceived, largely along gender lines. Because of these varying viewpoints, a reasonable woman standard is necessary so that sexual harassment cases are not limited to the most extreme instances of workplace harassment. However, the reasonable woman standard assumes that individuals with different gender perspectives perceive the same social interaction differently. If social framework evidence cannot be used to give background information on how different people handle sexual harassment, the reasonable woman standard will become ineffective. This Note argues that the admissibility of this background evidence is necessary to give victims of sexual harassment a greater chance to obtain justice.