Texas Real Estate Brokerage Sales Apprentice Education (SAE) Practice Exam

Which behavior does not constitute harassment under Texas law?

1. Sending a threatening email

2. Repeatedly calling someone in a friendly manner

3. Threatening to inflict bodily harm

4. Conveying a false report of injury

The correct answer is: Repeatedly calling someone in a friendly manner

In the context of Texas law, harassment typically involves repeated, unwanted behavior that creates an intimidating, threatening, or hostile environment for the victim. The behaviors that are most often classified as harassment include sending threatening communications, making threats of physical harm, or engaging in deceptive practices that harm another individual’s reputation or well-being. Repeatedly calling someone in a friendly manner does not fit the definition of harassment because it implies a context of positivity rather than intimidation or unwanted behavior. If the calls are friendly, they lack the repeated unwanted nature that would be necessary to classify them as harassment. This distinction is crucial, as harassment is characterized by its nature of being unwelcome and coercive, while a friendly call does not induce fear or create a hostile environment. In contrast, sending a threatening email, threatening to inflict bodily harm, and conveying a false report of injury involve behaviors that commonly induce fear or emotional distress, thereby meeting the criteria for harassment.