Under current California law (Gov. Code §12923), a single incident of harassing conduct:
Explanation
Government Code §12923(b) states the Legislature's intent that a single incident of harassing conduct is enough to create a triable issue on a hostile work environment if it has unreasonably interfered with the plaintiff's work performance - and §12923(a) rejects any requirement that the conduct destroy the ability to work. (b) is the pervasiveness fallacy, stated with a count: severity and pervasiveness are alternatives, so one serious act can substitute for many minor ones. (a) is the old federal reading §12923 was written to displace. (d) invents a reporting deadline; the FEHA filing period is three years under §12960, and an employee's delay in reporting does not waive the claim, though it can affect the employer's knowledge.
Law Reference: Government Code §12923(b); Harris v. Forklift Systems (1993) 510 U.S. 17This topic, taught in full in the CSLB Law & Business guide. CSLB Law & Business — Complete Study Guide (2026) — PDF + EPUB, $24.99 · 14-day refund →
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