Douglas Hartman, an air traffic controller from Aurora, Illinois, brought suit against the federal government for sexual harassment after he and other controllers attended a series of "diversity workshops" sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration. Attendance wasn't required, but according to Joseph Bellino, former executive vice president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, they were told they would be considered racist or sexist if they didn't attend.

According to accounts by participants, men were subjected to a "sexual harassment gauntlet" in which they were required to walk past a line of women who fondled them and made obscene remarks about their sexual prowess. Female employees were prompted to talk about being raped and abused, and to recall their first sexual experiences. Minorities were directed to describe humiliating experiences of racism, and white employees had to sit in on sessions in which black employees verbally attacked them. According to the controllers, employees who refused to play along were coerced by groups of five or six "facilitators" to take part.

Hartman said that many employees were disturbed by the sessions, some seeking professional help, and that after the sexual harassment gauntlet, several women apologized to him.

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