A law that has been enacted to help women employees to safeguard their honour and dignity at the workplace cannot be allowed by them to settle their personal scores with male superiors. Personal misunderstandings and not getting along with a male superior would not constitute sexual harassment as held by the Madras High Court in Mary Rajasekaran vs. University of Madras (W.P.No.10364 of 2016 decided on 25.8.2021). The Court set aside an order by the Tamil Nadu Commission for Women that directed Loyola College Society to pay Rs. 64.3 lakh to a terminated woman employee who had levelled sexual harassment charges against former principal, a priest.
Brief facts of the case are that Mary Rajasekaran hereinafter referred to as petitioner had been appointed as an Administrator on a contract basis in Loyola Development Office and Alumni Association in June 2010. She had served in that position until 2015 and was paid a consolidated amount of Rs. 30,000 a month. Afterwards, she had been appointed as Secretary to the Rector...
