Ms. Martin has personally experienced employment discrimination and injustice in the courts -- not just
for her clients, but for herself, as a plaintiff, in Martin v. Howard University, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS
19516 (D.C. 1999); 81 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 964; 15 BNA IER CAS 1587. The entire Trial
Court record, prior to the appeal, is uploaded as the Joint Appendix to the Appellate Brief. See Table of
Contents for Joint Appendix. The Joint Appendix, pages 10,784-13,473, includes the transcript of the
entire trial.
As a law professor at Howard University, Prof. Martin was harassed, in the law school building at
Howard University, by a delusional, homeless, serial stalker of African-American female professors.
Howard allowed the stalker, Leonard Harrison, to freely roam the law school halls and offices, despite its
own Campus Security policies and procedures requiring such a stalker to be banned -- and also despite
the instruction of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) if Harrison returned so that he could
be arrested for stalking.
It was later learned that Harrison was searching for the physical embodiment of his "fantasy," or ideal
"wife" --modeled after a fictional female character, Geneva Crenshaw, in a book, And We are not Saved,
written by the renowned Professor Derrick Bell. Harrison pursued women who fit the "profile" of the
fictitious Geneva Crenshaw. Instead of following its own security procedures to ban the stalker from
entering the law school buildings, Howard responded to Prof. Martin’s requests for protection by
refusing to renew her teaching contract. Prof. Martin sued Howard for sexual harassment/hostile work
environment and retaliation for reporting sexual harassment, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex/gender, as well as race, color, ethnic
origin and religion.
In 1999, the U.S.District Court for the District of Columbia set precedent in Martin v. Howard
University, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19516; 81 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 964; 15 BNA IER CAS 1587,
adopting the EEOC Regulation 29 CFR 1604.11(e). The Court held that an employer can be held liable
for the sexual harassment of an employee, by a non-employee, if the employer knew or should have
known of the harassment and failed to take reasonable steps to stop it. In 2006, after a trial, the jury
agreed with Prof. Martin that Harrison’s harassment did create a “hostile work environment” for her and
that Howard did not take reasonable steps to end it; yet, the jury verdict was for Howard. With
insufficient legal instruction from the Court, the confused jurors found that the harassment was not
based on sex; Prof. Martin’s complaints were not therefore not “protected activity” under Title VII. The
Supreme Court initially declined to review Martin, but nine days later, it decided Crawford v. Nashville.
Crawford clarified that “protected activity” under Title VII is a question of law for the Court, not a
factual question for a jury.
Martin is the first case to present the issue of "gender profiling" in the employment context -- or the
"working while female" factor. The National Organization for Women (NOW) and the National
Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL), joined by additional women’s and victims’ advocacy groups,
filed an Amicus Curiae Brief in this case, stressing the need to protect stalking victims from employer
retaliation.
Ms. Martin was a guest on "Good Morning America," on ABC (Ch. 7), August 5, 2010, interviewed by
reporter Erin Andrews, who was also a victim of stalking. See http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/erin-
andrews-leads-stalking-round-table/story?id=11322694.
WATCH a more detailed documentary about this case, on the Insider Exclusive website, with
producer/host Steve Murphy, below.
To post comments about the documentary and/or the case, see the 10 minute version of this
documentary at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxyzwRGYIgA&feature=channel_page and http:
//alexisamoore.blogspot.com/2009/02/watch-tv-documentary-on-federal-case.html
Ms. Martin was interviewed by Sky Radio, as part of its "Salute to Women in Leadership," summary in
Time Magazine, Global Edition, December 15, 2008. Hear her interview at http://www.skyradionet.
com/americanbiz.cfm. The interview was aired on American Airlines from December 16, 2008 through
January 31, 2009. Coincidentally, January was National Stalking Awareness Month; her interview was
particularly timely, then, since she is discussing a workplace stalking case -- her own litigation against
Howard University Law School, where she was a law professor.
Ms. Martin also discusses the case on ABC News Radio's "The Law Business Insider" which recognized
her as one of "America's Premier Lawyers." Hear her interview at http://behindtheheadlines.tv/index.
php?option=com_content&view=article&id=174:hlln-sorkin-dawn&catid=44:apl&Itemid=119.
Because of the long history of this case, the information has been divided into subtopics, which may be
accessed by clicking the appropriate link.
2010 STATUS OF CASE
HOWARD'S CONTINUED ANTI-CIVIL RIGHTS COURT FILINGS AND REFUSAL TO
ADDRESS STALKING, SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND SAFETY ON CAMPUS
MEDIA COVERAGE OF CASE
THE BIZARRE FACTS OF STALKING AND EMPLOYER RETALIATION, Stalked by a
Delusional, Serial Campus Stalker at the Law School
THE STATUTORY AND COMMON LAW CLAIMS AGAINST HOWARD UNIVERSITY
THE TRIAL
THE JURY VERDICT
THE APPEALS
for her clients, but for herself, as a plaintiff, in Martin v. Howard University, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS
19516 (D.C. 1999); 81 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 964; 15 BNA IER CAS 1587. The entire Trial
Court record, prior to the appeal, is uploaded as the Joint Appendix to the Appellate Brief. See Table of
Contents for Joint Appendix. The Joint Appendix, pages 10,784-13,473, includes the transcript of the
entire trial.
As a law professor at Howard University, Prof. Martin was harassed, in the law school building at
Howard University, by a delusional, homeless, serial stalker of African-American female professors.
Howard allowed the stalker, Leonard Harrison, to freely roam the law school halls and offices, despite its
own Campus Security policies and procedures requiring such a stalker to be banned -- and also despite
the instruction of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) if Harrison returned so that he could
be arrested for stalking.
It was later learned that Harrison was searching for the physical embodiment of his "fantasy," or ideal
"wife" --modeled after a fictional female character, Geneva Crenshaw, in a book, And We are not Saved,
written by the renowned Professor Derrick Bell. Harrison pursued women who fit the "profile" of the
fictitious Geneva Crenshaw. Instead of following its own security procedures to ban the stalker from
entering the law school buildings, Howard responded to Prof. Martin’s requests for protection by
refusing to renew her teaching contract. Prof. Martin sued Howard for sexual harassment/hostile work
environment and retaliation for reporting sexual harassment, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex/gender, as well as race, color, ethnic
origin and religion.
In 1999, the U.S.District Court for the District of Columbia set precedent in Martin v. Howard
University, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19516; 81 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 964; 15 BNA IER CAS 1587,
adopting the EEOC Regulation 29 CFR 1604.11(e). The Court held that an employer can be held liable
for the sexual harassment of an employee, by a non-employee, if the employer knew or should have
known of the harassment and failed to take reasonable steps to stop it. In 2006, after a trial, the jury
agreed with Prof. Martin that Harrison’s harassment did create a “hostile work environment” for her and
that Howard did not take reasonable steps to end it; yet, the jury verdict was for Howard. With
insufficient legal instruction from the Court, the confused jurors found that the harassment was not
based on sex; Prof. Martin’s complaints were not therefore not “protected activity” under Title VII. The
Supreme Court initially declined to review Martin, but nine days later, it decided Crawford v. Nashville.
Crawford clarified that “protected activity” under Title VII is a question of law for the Court, not a
factual question for a jury.
Martin is the first case to present the issue of "gender profiling" in the employment context -- or the
"working while female" factor. The National Organization for Women (NOW) and the National
Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL), joined by additional women’s and victims’ advocacy groups,
filed an Amicus Curiae Brief in this case, stressing the need to protect stalking victims from employer
retaliation.
Ms. Martin was a guest on "Good Morning America," on ABC (Ch. 7), August 5, 2010, interviewed by
reporter Erin Andrews, who was also a victim of stalking. See http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/erin-
andrews-leads-stalking-round-table/story?id=11322694.
WATCH a more detailed documentary about this case, on the Insider Exclusive website, with
producer/host Steve Murphy, below.
To post comments about the documentary and/or the case, see the 10 minute version of this
documentary at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxyzwRGYIgA&feature=channel_page and http:
//alexisamoore.blogspot.com/2009/02/watch-tv-documentary-on-federal-case.html
Ms. Martin was interviewed by Sky Radio, as part of its "Salute to Women in Leadership," summary in
Time Magazine, Global Edition, December 15, 2008. Hear her interview at http://www.skyradionet.
com/americanbiz.cfm. The interview was aired on American Airlines from December 16, 2008 through
January 31, 2009. Coincidentally, January was National Stalking Awareness Month; her interview was
particularly timely, then, since she is discussing a workplace stalking case -- her own litigation against
Howard University Law School, where she was a law professor.
Ms. Martin also discusses the case on ABC News Radio's "The Law Business Insider" which recognized
her as one of "America's Premier Lawyers." Hear her interview at http://behindtheheadlines.tv/index.
php?option=com_content&view=article&id=174:hlln-sorkin-dawn&catid=44:apl&Itemid=119.
Because of the long history of this case, the information has been divided into subtopics, which may be
accessed by clicking the appropriate link.
2010 STATUS OF CASE
HOWARD'S CONTINUED ANTI-CIVIL RIGHTS COURT FILINGS AND REFUSAL TO
ADDRESS STALKING, SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND SAFETY ON CAMPUS
MEDIA COVERAGE OF CASE
THE BIZARRE FACTS OF STALKING AND EMPLOYER RETALIATION, Stalked by a
Delusional, Serial Campus Stalker at the Law School
THE STATUTORY AND COMMON LAW CLAIMS AGAINST HOWARD UNIVERSITY
THE TRIAL
THE JURY VERDICT
THE APPEALS
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| Law Offices of Dawn V. Martin, LLC Martin v. Howard University |
Prof. Martin is
pictured with some
of her students at
Howard Law School
in 1998. More than
80 students
circulated petitions
and wrote letters of
protest to then Dean
Alice Gresham
Bullock protesting
Howard's refusal to
renew Prof. Martin's
teaching contract.
Click on icons below
to hear 1999 radio
shows discussing
case.
pictured with some
of her students at
Howard Law School
in 1998. More than
80 students
circulated petitions
and wrote letters of
protest to then Dean
Alice Gresham
Bullock protesting
Howard's refusal to
renew Prof. Martin's
teaching contract.
Click on icons below
to hear 1999 radio
shows discussing
case.
Ambrose Lane Show, June 23, 1999, both on
WPFW.
WPFW.
Burnie McCain Show, May 5, 1999. Howard's
own security officer, Officer Amos Sirleaf, called
in show to Prof. Martin, risking his job to do so.
own security officer, Officer Amos Sirleaf, called
in show to Prof. Martin, risking his job to do so.
Also available at http://insiderexclusive.com/tv_martin.htm