• 24
  • June
    2011

On Monday, the Supreme Court issued one of the most anticipated decisions of the year. Deemed a victory for employers, the end result will change the way employment lawsuits can be litigated.

The case, Wal-Mart Stores Inc v. Betty Dukes, et al., alleged that Wal-Mart discriminated against women when it came to promotions, pay and job responsibilities. The named plaintiff, 54-year-old Betty Dukes, filed a lawsuit in 2000, claiming that under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, she was discriminated against, and was kept from advancing within the company despite hard work and outstanding performance.

In 2004, a California federal district judge certified the employment discrimination case, allowing 1.6 million women who all had worked for discount retailer giant Wal-Mart, to join and create the largest civil rights class action lawsuit in U.S. history. Wal-Mart appealed the class action certification. The case was heard several times by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals before Wal-Mart asked the Supreme Court to review the class certification last December.