Question

Read the scenario. Select the three factors that most contributed to the issue described in the scenario.

A cisgendered Hispanic female corrections officer who worked at a local jail in Texas informed her supervisor that a male inmate had made a sexual slur directed at her. When she refused the advance, the male inmate then exposed himself. She asked to file a complaint against the inmate for harassment. The supervisor refused to allow the complaint and stated "You should take it as a compliment! Besides, this is what you signed up for by working in a men's facility."
Based on the 2017 case involving multiple female corrections officers versus Cook County sheriff Tom Dart Howard et al. v. Cook County Sheriff's Office et al., No. 1:2017cv08146 - Document 93 (N.D. Ill. 2018)
Which three factors most contributed to the issue described in the scenario?

Question options:

A. Sexual orientation
B. Race
C. Work content/field
D. Gender
E. Appearance

Answer 1

The three factors that contributed to the issue are Gender, as the officer's complaint was dismissed based on gender norms; Race, considering the intersectionality of discrimination; and Work content/field, as the setting influenced the supervisor's perception of workplace norms.

Step-by-step explanation:

The three factors that most contributed to the issue described in the scenario where a cisgendered Hispanic female corrections officer experienced sexual harassment by an inmate and was dismissed by her supervisor are:

• D. Gender: The supervisor's response to the complaint was dismissive and suggested that she should expect such behavior because of her gender and her decision to work in a men’s facility.
• B. Race: Discrimination can manifest in different forms, including the intersectionality of race and gender, which may affect the way individuals are treated within the workplace.
• C. Work content/field: Working in a corrections environment, especially in a men's facility, presents unique challenges and may contribute to the supervisor’s perception of accepted norms within that field.

Although sexual orientation (A) and appearance (E) can also be factors in discrimination, they are not explicitly mentioned in the scenario as contributing factors.