The following excerpt is from Nichols v. Azteca Restaurant, 256 F.3d 864 (9th Cir. 2001):
To determine if an environment is sufficiently hostile or abusive to violate Title VII, we look at "all the circumstances," including the "frequency of the discriminatory conduct; its severity; whether it is physically threatening or humiliating, or a mere offensive utterance; and whether it unreasonably interferes with an employee's work performance." Harris v. Forklift Sys., Inc., 510 U.S. 17, 23 (1993). The required level of severity or seriousness "varies inversely with the pervasiveness or frequency of the conduct. " Ellison, 924 F.2d at 878. "[S]imple teasing, offhand comments, and isolated incidents (unless extremely serious) will not amount to discriminatory changes in the terms and conditions of employment." Faragher, 524 U.S. at 788 (internal quotation marks and citations omitted).
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