Offensive Music at Work Creates Legal Headaches for Employers

Litigation testing whether obscene and misogynistic rap music in the workplace gives rise to a hostile work environment claim serves as a warning to employers to take proactive measures, regardless of the cases’ outcome.

Two separate, nearly identical sexual harassment lawsuits claim managers and other employees regularly played vulgar music in the workplace and disregarded worker complaints—one involving a female Tesla Inc. employee and another involving a group of warehouse workers. Both cases, brought under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, originated in Nevada.

As the cases make their way through the federal courts, they offer some ...