Vinson v. Superior Court

During a job interview at Peralta Community College District (defendant), interviewer Grant (defendant) allegedly made sexually explicit comments about Vinson's (plaintiff) appearance and his desire for her, and conditioned her hiring on sexual favors; after being hired and later transferred to an unqualified position once Grant learned she worked in the district, Vinson was terminated. She sued for wrongful discharge, sexual harassment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress; during discovery, the defendants moved to compel a psychological examination to assess her injuries, and the trial court granted the motion without limiting its scope, denying Vinson's request that her counsel attend and that the exam avoid her sexual history. Vinson's appeals were unsuccessful below, and she appealed to the California Supreme Court.