Milestones: 1977
In
McDonald v. Santa Fe
Transportation Co., the Supreme Court holds that Title
VII prohibits racial discrimination against whites as well as
blacks.
In
International
Brotherhood of Teamsters v. United States, the Supreme
Court rules that in a pattern or practice discrimination case, once
the plaintiff proves that the defendant systematically
discriminated, all the affected class members are presumed to be
entitled to relief (such as back pay, jobs) unless the defendant
proves that the individuals were not the victims of the defendant's
pattern or practice of discrimination.
In
Hazelwood School
District v. U.S., the Supreme Court rules that a
plaintiff can establish a prima facie case of class hiring
discrimination through the presentation of statistical evidence by
comparing the racial composition of an employer's workforce with
the racial composition of the relevant labor market. The court
explains that absent discrimination, an employer's workforce should
reflect the composition of the employer's applicant pool.
The
Supreme Court in Trans World Airlines,
Inc. v. Hardison decides its first Title VII religious
discrimination case. The Court states that under Title VII
employers must reasonably accommodate an employee's religious needs
unless to do so would create an undue hardship for the employer.
The Court defines hardship as anything more than de
minimis cost.
In
Occidental Life
Insurance Co. v. EEOC, the Supreme Court addresses many
of the procedural arguments advanced by employers which have
prevented EEOC's lawsuits from going forward. The Court holds that
EEOC lawsuits do not have to be filed in court within 180 days
after the filing of a charge and that EEOC lawsuits are not subject
to state statutes of limitation.
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![Photo of Chairwoman Norton](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090115054906im_/http://eeoc.gov//abouteeoc/35th/photos/norton-thumb.jpg) |
Chairwoman Eleanor Holmes
Norton |
President Jimmy Carter nominates and the Senate confirms Eleanor Holmes Norton to be
the first African American woman to chair EEOC. Norton is later
elected the delegate of the District of Columbia to the U.S. House
of Representatives.
Chair
Norton introduces plans for the most extensive reorganization of
EEOC's structure and programs since the agency opened its doors.
Seven regional offices and five separate litigation centers are
closed and their functions are moved to 22 district offices
throughout the country. For the first time, administrative
management, litigation and investigation are done from the same
office. In September, model offices open in Dallas, Baltimore, and
Chicago. The agency for the first time places its lawyers and
investigators in the same offices. At the same time, the grade
level of the newly appointed district directors rises from GS-15 to
Senior Executive Service and the size of the district offices
increases by about one third.
Next: 1978
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