More times than not, no lawsuit is involved but it is the threat of a lawsuit or a firing that shuts up most men very fast.
You see, this is all about power, not sex. Women want the power to discard any man at the office they believe is a big enough jerk and you can take plenty of out-of-context comments and make them *appear* to be harassment. How does a man tell an African-American secretary that he wants his coffee black without it sounding like possible harassment? At one of my favorite restaurants, I subjected a waitress to some giggles when I asked innocently enough if she wanted to eat the pickle that came with the sandwich. She was flattered that I invited her to eat my pickle.
There is a clear procedure that companies should follow if they want to avoid such threats. The vast majority of women of course have no interest in pursuing suits even if justified. But I can certainly see why men are afraid of it. I think they can generally tell friend or foe and how caeeful they have to be with someine.
I'm a woman, and I get nervous having to say that at the McDonald's.