Law, Business, and Society 9th Edition by Tony McAdams

Exercise 58

Rena Lockard worked for a Pizza Hut franchise in Atoka, Oklahoma, in September 1993. Two male customers made sexually offensive comments to her such as, "I would like to get in your pants." Lockard told her supervisor she did not like waiting on the men, but she did not mention the sexual comments. In November 1993, the men returned to the Pizza Hut, and Lockard was instructed to wait on them. One of them asked what kind of cologne she was wearing, and Lockard replied that it was none of his business. The customer then grabbed her by the hair. Lockard told her supervisor what had happened and said that she did not want to wait on the two men. The supervisor ordered her to do so. Lockard returned to the table where one of the men pulled her by the hair, grabbed one of her breasts, and put his mouth on her breast. Lockard then quit her job and later sued the local franchise and Pizza Hut.
a. What is the central issue(s) in this case
b. Is the franchise and/or Pizza Hut responsible for sexual harassment by a customer against an employee Explain. See Lockard v. Pizza Hut, 162 F.3d 1062 (10th Cir. 1998).