Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

This case involves a charge of adverse impact ( see disparate treatment ) against an employer. The Supreme Court held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits not only overt discrimination , but also employment practices that appear neutral but have a discriminatory effect on a protected class (e.g., blacks), even if unintentional. In Griggs , defendant Duke Power required all manual labor applicants to have a high school degree, even though this requirement was unrelated to the duties of the job. Although this policy applied to all applicants, more of blacks were excluded from consideration because the local labor pool contained fewer black high school graduates, therefore creating an adverse impact. ... log in or subscribe to read full text