Answer the questions below!
Read the Jones v. Clinton case in Chapter 6 of the textbook, then answer these questions:
Question: The court seems to regard Joness allegations as trivial. In fact, hasnt she alleged disgusting behavior by her employer? How can the court regard her claims so lightly?
Question: What is the judge obligated to decide?
Question: Does summary judgment mean that there will be no trial?
Question: How can a judge decide whether there was sexual harassment without holding a trial? We do not know whether Clinton did these things or not.
Question: What is missing from Joness allegations?
Case: Jones v. Clinton
Facts: In 1991, Bill Clinton was Governor of Arkansas. Paula Jones worked for a state agency, the
Arkansas Industrial Development Commission (AIDC). When Clinton became President, Jones sued him,
claiming that he had sexually harassed her. She alleged that, in May 1991, the Governor arranged for her
to meet him in a hotel room in Little Rock, Arkansas. When they were alone, he put his hand on her leg
and slid it toward her pelvis, and later he lowered his trousers, exposed his penis, and told her to kiss it.
Jones claimed that she was horrified, jumped up, and left. Jones remained at AIDC until February 1993,
when she moved to California because of her husbands job transfer. President Clinton denied all of the
allegations. He also filed for summary judgment, claiming that Jones had not alleged facts that justified a
trial. Jones opposed the motion for summary judgment.
Issue: Did Jones make out a claim of sexual harassment?
Holding: Summary judgment for Clinton. Jones had failed to demonstrate any tangible job detriment. She
had never been downgraded in her job, and in fact had been reclassified upward. She received every merit
increase for which she was eligible. A mere change in job responsibilities, with no loss of status or pay, is
not a job detriment. The facts that her work station was changed, that she sometimes had nothing to do,
and that she did not receive flowers on Secretarys Day do not add up to a federal claim of sexual
harassment.
Note: As Joness appeal of this decision was pending, the parties settled. Without acknowledging any of
the allegations, Clinton agreed to pay Jones $850,000 to drop the suit.
