Ledbetter v. Goodyear should be overturned
Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 550 U.S. 618 (2007), is an example of strict legalistic interpretation overriding common sense. It is a poorly decided case, all the more shocking because a majority of the US Supreme Court upheld it. The facts are these:
“Lilly Ledbetter was a supervisor at Goodyear Tire and
Rubber’s plant in Gadsden, Alabama, from 1979 until her
retirement in 1998. For most of those years, she worked
as an area manager, a position largely occupied by men.
Initially, Ledbetter’s salary was in line with the salaries of
men performing substantially similar work. Over time,
however, her pay slipped in comparison to the pay of male
area managers with equal or less seniority. By the end of
1997, Ledbetter was the only woman working as an area
manager and the pay discrepancy between Ledbetter and
her 15 male counterparts was stark: Ledbetter was paid
$3,727 per month; the lowest paid male area manager
received $4,286 per month, the highest paid, $5,236.”
Now what seems to be a clear cut case of gender discrimination becomes altogether more complicated because of a statute of limitation because Title VII provides that a charge of discrimination “shall be filed within [180] days after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred.” 42 U. S. C. §2000e–5(e)(1). Because Ledbetter did not file her claim on time, her suit failed on this technical ground. The absurdity and manifest injustice of this decision is clear and it is appalling that the majority denied her claim. Justice Ginsberg’s vigorous dissent is noteworthy in just how strongly worded it is:
“The Court’s approbation of these consequences is totally at odds with the robust protection against workplace discrimination Congress intended Title VII to secure… This is not the first time the Court has ordered a cramped interpretation of Title VII, incompatible with the statute’s broad remedial purpose. … Once again, the ball is in Congress’ court. As in 1991, the Legislature may act to correct this Court’s parsimonious reading of Title VII”
And indeed it seems that Obama and the Congress are working to overturn Ledbetter, which is an appalling decision and a step back for workplace equality.
And as always, Stephen Colbert demonstrates with his usual satirical style, how ridiculous this case really is. Hopefully common sense will prevail, and the atrocious decision that is Ledbetter be overturned.
