The case of General Kennedy, the Army's highest-ranking woman, has revived the question of how pervasive sexual harassment remains in the military and how such cases should be handled.

"That's not pervasive harassment, it's not a pattern, it's not severe, and sometimes a kiss is just a kiss."

The commission's lawsuit contended that there was pervasive sexual harassment of as many as 700 women who work or once worked at the 4,000-employee factory in Illinois.

A bitterly divided Supreme Court affirmed yesterday the legal obligation of schools to protect students from severe and pervasive sexual harassment by other students.

In 1986, the Supreme Court ruled in a unanimous decision that severe or pervasive sexual harassment of an employee by a supervisor constituted a violation of Federal law.

Now, as a result of a bitterly fought 5-to-4 ruling, school districts are on notice that they can be sued for failing to stop severe and pervasive harassment in the classroom.

This can include evangelism if it does not involve severe and pervasive harassment or influence hiring and promotion.

The liberal spin: No, they won't, because it's almost impossible to prove "severe and pervasive" harassment.

The suit, filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan, says the workers suffered "severe and pervasive harassment" in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.