Sue Hartigan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - America's largest feminist group decided not to support Paula Jones, even as the Supreme Court considered a sexual harassment case that may determine the fate of her suit against President Clinton. The National Organization for Women (NOW) decided not to file a brief supporting Jones in her lawsuit alleging that Clinton sexually harassed her seven years ago. NOW had been considering filing a so-called amicus brief in Jones' case, but decided against it after "overwhelming consensus" was reached among its members, NOW president Patricia Ireland said in a statement. "We have decided not to work with the disreputable right-wing organizations and individuals advancing her cause, who themselves have a long-standing political interest in undermining our movement to strengthen women's rights and weakening the laws that protect those rights," Ireland said. The case argued before the Supreme Court Wednesday involved Kimberly Ellerth, a former employee of Burlington Industries Inc., who was subjected to a pattern of alleged unwelcome sexual advances by her boss in 1993 and 1994. While Jones' case against the president never came up during the hour-long session, legal experts said the Supreme Court's ruling by the end of June may affect whether she prevails in her appeal to revive her lawsuit against Clinton. Jones' suit against Clinton was dismissed April 1 in Little Rock, Ark. She said last week that she planned to appeal. Both Jones and Ellerth have alleged sexual harassment, even though neither showed a tangible detriment to their jobs after the alleged incidents occurred. But Ellerth has alleged there were many harassing incidents while Jones has said that Clinton only did it once. Both women claimed that their bosses -- Clinton, in Jones' case -- made them feel threatened, but while Ellerth cited specific threats, Jones said she "read between the lines" to perceive the threat. The nation's highest court appeared troubled by the argument that sexual harassment claims may proceed if the employee resisted a supervisor's unwelcome sexual advances and never suffered any adverse employment consequences. Jones alleges that Clinton, then governor, exposed himself, asked her for oral sex at a hotel room in 1991 and then said he knew her immediate supervisor. Jones has interpreted the remark as a threat, but the judge said that it was too ambiguous. The Rutherford Institute, which has arranged for Jones's legal representation, said it has filed a brief with the Supreme Court in the Ellerth case urging the justices to impose a "strict liability" standard for sexual harassment cases. But several justices pointedly said the issue they agreed to decide does not involve the liability standard for such cases. In another legal development, the Clinton administration is seeking to shield the Secret Service from having to testify in independent counsel Kenneth Starr's investigation involving Clinton and former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. U.S. officials said Justice and Treasury Department lawyers in a sealed motion had asked a U.S. District judge in Washington to recognize for the first time a privilege of "protective function" for Secret Service officers. Starr has asked the judge to force several uniformed Secret Service officers to testify about what they saw or heard as part of his probe of allegations that Clinton had sex with Lewinsky and conspired to cover it up in the Jones lawsuit. Clinton and Lewinsky have denied having a sexual relationship. Clinton has denied encouraging her to lie under oath. The grand jury investigating the sex scandal did not meet Wednesday, but is scheduled to reconvene Thursday. Clinton has maintained high approval ratings despite the allegations, and a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll issued Wednesday showed that a majority of Americans believed that the president should remain in office even if Starr found evidence that he had perjured himself and obstructed justice. Forty-three percent of the 1,004 voters polled April 18-20 had "very little confidence" that Starr's report to Congress would be fair, and 55 percent said they did not believe the charges against Clinton warranted impeachment hearings. The president's approval rating remained at a high 66 percent -- and 45 percent said they thought Clinton was doing a good job although they did not respect him personally. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percent. -- Two rules in life: 1. Don't tell people everything you know. 2. Subscribe/Unsubscribe, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the body of the message enter: subscribe/unsubscribe law-issues
