Jun 22, 2023 Playing Eminem's "Stan" at work might be considered sexual harassment, according to a recent court ruling. Court Rules Misogynistic Music at Workplace Could Be Considered Sexual Harassment The issue was initially brought up in a lawsuit levied against clothing manufacturer S&S Activewear back in February by eight plaintiffs who claim managers and employees would frequently play "sexually graphic, violently misogynistic" music during work hours at the company's Reno, Nevada warehouse. In particular, the complaint names Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP track "Stan," saying the song "described extreme violence against women, detailing a pregnant woman being stuffed into a car trunk and driven into water to be drowned." Too $hort music is also named in the complaint. The case was brought up in federal district court and initially dismissed. However, earlier this month, that ruling was overturned by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. "Although we have not before addressed the specific issue of music-as-harassment, this court and our sister circuits have recognized Title VII redress for other auditory offenses in the workplace and for derogatory conduct to which all employees are exposed," the court's ruling reads. "Heeding the core principles of sexual harassment law, we conclude that the district court improperly dismissed Sharp’s music claim," it concludes. What Does the Court Ruling Mean? The ruling could lead to a long hard look into the types of music that will be allowed to be played in the workplace, with legal repercussions possibly now in play. The ruling comes as courts across the country are still dealing with how to handle the use of rap lyrics in court. Last fall, Democratic New York Congressman Jamaal Bowman proposed the RAP Act, which would block the use of song lyrics as evidence in court hearings.
