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Title details for Class Action by Clara Bingham - Available

Class Action

The Landmark Case That Changed Sexual Harassment

by Clara Bingham
Laura Leedy Gansler
Audiobook
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1 of 1 copy available

In the coldest reaches of northern Minnesota, a group of women endured a shocking degree of sexual harassment, until one found the courage to file the first sexual harassment class action suit in America, permanently changing the legal landscape.

When the local iron mine began hiring women in 1975, Lois Jenson, a single mother on welfare, didn't think twice about accepting the grueling but well-paying job. What she hadn't considered was that she was entering a male-dominated society that fiercely resented the inclusion of women, a prejudice born out in the brutal harassment of every female miner. Relentlessly threatened with pornographic graffiti, denigrating language, stalking, and physical assaults, the women largely kept quiet for fear of losing their jobs, until Lois, devastated by the abuse, found the courage to sue—and won.

This book was the basis for the acclaimed motion picture North Country starring Charlize Theron.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    January 1, 2006

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781483065342
      • File size: 443713 KB
      • Duration: 15:24:24

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This is a true account of the first sexual harassment case to be certified as a class action. Lois Jenson, the lead plaintiff, and many other women employed in a Minnesota iron mine, faced outrageous mistreatment. To prevail, the women endured a grueling fifteen-year series of legal proceedings. Gabrielle de Cuir exerts commendable effort to present the story's extensive background information in an engaging, well-paced manner. She largely succeeds, despite the wordy text. De Cuir's voice often sounds strained, as if she is torn between constraint and allowing free expression of her own reaction to the horrific conditions the women encountered. Listeners too will find the emotional impact of this book hard to ignore. D.J. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 13, 2002
      In 1997, in reversing a lower court decision, federal appellate Judge Donald Lay wrote in a sexual-harassment class-action lawsuit, Jenson
      v. Eveleth, "The emotional harm, brought about by this record of human indecency, sought to destroy the human psyche as well as the human spirit.... The humiliation and degradation suffered by these women is irreparable." Journalist Bingham's (Women on the Hill: Challenging the Culture of Congress) and attorney Gansler's deeply felt and disturbing narrative is the story of what informed Judge Lay's decision. In 1975, Lois Jenson became one of the first women to work in the iron mines of Minnesota and the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit. Eveleth Mines was Jenson's employer. The center of the story is the 25-year ordeal Jenson and other women miners underwent: the harshness and callousness of the abuse directed at the women in the uncivilized and misogynist atmosphere of the mine will outrage readers. The equally brutal treatment class members received in the civilized venue of the federal court system, especially by the lawyers for Eveleth, will shock them. The matter-of-fact description of Eveleth's lawyers' assault on Jenson's character during a deposition that inquired about the most intimate details of her life has tremendous immediacy. Because of the personal price the plaintiffs pay, and despite the success of the litigation, this account falls somewhere between a cautionary tale about the dangers facing those who challenge entrenched institutions and a bittersweet celebration of the ultimate effectiveness of the justice system. (On sale June 18)Forecast:This compelling story could hit a nerve, particularly—but not only—with women readers, with a five-city author tour and other publicity off to a good start:
      Marie-Claire,
      Elle and
      Glamour all have reviews scheduled.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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