The U.S. Supreme Court first upheld the EEOC Guidelines on Sexual Harassment in 1986 (Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson, 1986). In the Vinson case, the plaintiff, a bank teller, complained that she felt pressured to engage in unwanted sexual relations with her supervisor. The unwanted sexual relationship extended for several years and included lunchtime trysts at a nearby hotel. The plaintiff claimed that she was coerced into the relationship because of the supervisor’s power over her employment, even though there was no evidence of explicit threats by the supervisor. There was evidence that she did not initiate the sexual relationship and was seriously distressed by it. The Court affirmed that demand for sexual conduct could create a hostile
