Appealed From: U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
Subjects: Sexual Harassment; Civil Rights Act

Decision: The justices ruled unanimously that federal laws banning employment sexual harassment apply to a situation in which both the harasser and the person filing the complaint are the same sex.

• Read the full text of the Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, et al. decision at the Findlaw Internet Legal Resources Web site.

• Listen to the Oncale, Joseph v. Sundowner Offshore Services, et al. oral argument in RealAudio at the Oyez Oyez Oyez Web site.

• Read the lower court decision at the U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit Web site.

• Take a look at the specifics of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Web site.

Sources: The Washington Post, Supreme Court, The United States Law Week (a Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. publication)