---
title: "Can the Use of One Racial Epithet Be Enough to Create a Hostile Work Environment?  Yes, It Can."
description: ""
url: "https://wimlaw.com/articles/can-the-use-of-one-racial-epithet-be-enough-to-create-a-hostile-work-environment-yes-it-can"
date: "2026-06-22T12:14:07+00:00"
language: "en-US"
---

#  Can the Use of One Racial Epithet Be Enough to Create a Hostile Work Environment? Yes, It Can.

Written on April 27, 2017.

If employers did not already have enough incentives to train supervisors in the avoidance of workplace harassment claims, an additional incentive comes from a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. In *Daniel v. T&M Prot. Res., LLC*, 2d Cir., No. 15-560-cv, (unpublished 4/25/17), the Second Circuit held that **a single incident or comment, if severe enough**, can give rise to employer liability under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. In that case, a building security supervisor referred to Otis Daniel as "you f\*\*\*\*\*\* n\*\*\*\*\*," according to court records. That comment was severe enough, said the Second Circuit. This comment was one about 20 separate incidents of harassment alleged by Daniel during his 15 months with T&M.

One can imagine other epithets directed at people based on their gender, race, national origin, or other protected categories, that may be classified as "severe" enough to rise to the level of actionable harassment. Supervisors need to be trained regularly on the types of conduct—verbal and non-verbal—that could give rise to complaints of harassment. Even one ugly epithet has the potential to cost a company a lot of money, just in the costs and legal expenses of defending a lawsuit.

- [](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Farticles%2Fcan-the-use-of-one-racial-epithet-be-enough-to-create-a-hostile-work-environment-yes-it-can.md&text=)
- [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Farticles%2Fcan-the-use-of-one-racial-epithet-be-enough-to-create-a-hostile-work-environment-yes-it-can.md)
- [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Farticles%2Fcan-the-use-of-one-racial-epithet-be-enough-to-create-a-hostile-work-environment-yes-it-can.md)
- [](mailto:?subject=Can%20the%20Use%20of%20One%20Racial%20Epithet%20Be%20Enough%20to%20Create%20a%20Hostile%20Work%20Environment%3F%20%20Yes%2C%20It%20Can.)

 ![Kathleen J. Jennings](https://wimlaw.com/images/resources/articles/2020/06/kathleen-portrait-300.jpg)

 Kathleen J. Jennings

Former Principal

Kathleen J. Jennings is a former principal in the Atlanta office of Wimberly, Lawson, Steckel, Schneider, & Stine, P.C. She defends employers in employment matters, such as sexual harassment, discrimination, Wage and Hour, OSHA, restrictive covenants, and other employment litigation and provides training and counseling to employers in employment matters.

##  Related Content

##  Get Email Updates

Receive newsletters and alerts directly in your email inbox. Sign up below.

##  Recent Content

 [ Articles ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=205)

 [ ![ai, human reach out](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/f1/igor-omilaev-FHgWFzDDAOs-unsplash-f12346e8.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53)###  [FCRA Litigation Challenges Employers’ Use of AI Hiring Platforms](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

A January 20, 2026, class action filed against Eightfold AI, Inc. in California is sending shockwaves through the employer and AI community…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53)

 [ ![danger sign, skull](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/01/mikael-seegen-jX6WXNkvsPs-unsplash-01c1ebef.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53)###  [The Dangers of Employers Using AI Research Tools as to Discovery Requests from Plaintiffs](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

A second “bombshell” affecting HR pertaining to AI is a federal court ruling in New York, that a defendant’s use of AI in researching and p…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53)

 [ ![CHAT GPT](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/64/emiliano-vittoriosi-fvxNerA8uk0-unsplash-64a16be4.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53)###  [Two Subsequent Cases Protect Defendant’s Use of AI as Subject to Work-product Protection](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

Soon after the deciding of the above-discussed case on February 17, 2026, in U.S. v. Heppner, a criminal case in the District Court for the…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53)

 [ ![avoid, wave away](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/6f/priscilla-du-preez-NQTphr4Pr60-unsplash-6fb4df83.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53)###  [Is There Anything an Employer Can Do to Avoid Waiving Privileges in Using AI Research Tools?](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

There are no easy answers to the above question, but some general observations will nevertheless be made. First, the New York district cou…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53)

 [ ![ai visualization](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/45/milad-fakurian-5yWtM3M3JKM-unsplash-45306e6d.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53)###  [Suggestions on Use of AI](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

Perhaps the starting point is to look at the type of AI platforms generally available. At a recent conference about AI use for HR, speaker…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53)

 [ ![june 2026 legal immigration webinar promo graphic](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/45/june-2026-webinar-immigration-453d45bc.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221)###  [Worksite Enforcement and TPS and Parole Status Update](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221)

[Webinars: Employment Law "Hot Topics"](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=221)

The webinar covers how to deal with a worksite enforcement action and various types of immigration enforcement activities. The webinar also…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221)

### Additional Legal Resources

[### Newsletter

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters)

[### Books

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/publications/books)

[### Alerts

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/alerts)

[### Articles

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/articles)

[### Audits

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/audits)

[### Events

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/events)

## Schema

```json
{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://wimlaw.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Articles", "item": "https://wimlaw.com/articles" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Can the Use of One Racial Epithet Be Enough to Create a Hostile Work Environment? Yes, It Can.", "item": "https://wimlaw.com/articles/can-the-use-of-one-racial-epithet-be-enough-to-create-a-hostile-work-environment-yes-it-can" } ] }
```