If the EEOC finds as the result of an investigation that unlawful discrimination has occurred, the EEOC will try to conciliate (settle) the charge.
If conciliation efforts are not successful, the EEOC has the authority to file a ___ to protect the rights of individuals and the interests of the public.
Some of the events of “the Civil Rights Era” that paved the way to passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 include the Sit-___ and the Freedom Rides. (Describing these events, the actions and experiences of those involved, and how they helped to pave the way to passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 would be a good essay question.)
Title VII ___ to employers with fifteen or more employees, most labor organizations, and employment agencies. (Identifying what entities are covered by this law and what types of actions are prohibited by each, in response to a hypothetical, would be a good essay question.)
A bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) is a ___ exception to the civil rights law that allows an employer to hire employees of a specific gender, [or religion, or national origin] when business necessity—the safe and efficient performance of the particular job—requires it.
Mixed motive cases involve an employer violating Title VII by considering an illegal factor in making an employment decision, ___ though there may have been other factors also motivating the decision or practice. If the employer is able to show that it would have reached the same decision in the absence of the illegal factor, then the employer’s liability for monetary remedies under Title VII is reduced under Section 706(g)(2)(B). The employer is subject to a court order to cease violating Title VII and is liable for the plaintiff’s legal fees but is not required to pay damages or to reinstate or hire the plaintiff if they prove that they would have made the same decision in the absence of discrimination.
___ discrimination (discrimination based on the ___ of one’s skin) is actionable and is not just another term for race discrimination. It refers to a situation where one is treating a person differently because they have lighter or darker skin tone that others of the same race.
Section 704(a) of Title VII prohibits ___. Under this provision, an employer, union, or employment agency is prohibited from taking an adverse action against an employee or applicant because that person has opposed any practice that is prohibited by Title VII (known as the “opposition clause”) or because that person has taken part in or assisted any investigation, hearing, or proceeding under Title VII (known as the “participation clause”).
The Supreme Court held in General Electric v. Gilbert (1976) that General Electric’s refusal to cover PREGNANCY or related conditions under its sick-pay plan, even though male-specific disabilities such as vasectomies were covered, did not violate Title VII. In response to this decision, Congress passed the PREGNANCY Discrimination ___ of 1978, which amended Title VII by adding language that clarified that “because of sex” or “on the basis of sex” include, but are not limited to, because of or on the basis of PREGNANCY, childbirth, or related medical conditions; and women affected by PREGNANCY, childbirth, or related medical conditions shall be treated the same for all employment-related purposes, including receipt of benefits under fringe benefit programs, as other persons not so affected but similar to their ability or inability to work. . . .
The Family and Medical ___ Act (FMLA), passed in 1993 allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks unpaid ___ in any 12 months because of:
the birth, adoption, or foster care of a child;
the need to care for a child, spouse, or parent with a serious health condition; or
the employee’s own serious health condition makes the employee unable to perform functions of their job. (Identifying what employees and employers are covered by this law, what type of ___ the employee might be entitled to, and under what circumstances, in response to a hypothetical, would be a good essay question.)
The two federal laws that prohibit discrimination in ___ because of sex are the Equal ___ Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Often claims of ___ discrimination are brought under both laws because of different methods of proof and different remedies available under each. (Describing a recent case in the news involving ___ discrimination because of sex would be a good essay question.)
Once a plaintiff makes out a prima facie case of disparate treatment discrimination, the burden shifts to the defendant employer to prove that their action was ___ based on that person’s protected characteristic.
The work of the EEOC includes promulgating and enforcing ___ that implement the federal workplace discrimination laws.
An employer is always responsible for harassment by a supervisor that culminated in a tangible employment action. If the harassment did not lead to a tangible employment action, the employer is liable unless it proves that:
it exercised reasonable ___ to prevent and promptly correct any harassment and
the employee unreasonably failed to complain to management or to avoid harm otherwise. Employers will be liable for harassment by coworkers or even nonemployees if it knew of, or should have known of, the harassing conduct and failed to take reasonable steps to stop it. (Identifying such a situation, whether the employer may be liable, and the characteristics of an effective sexual harassment policy would be a good essay question.)
The EEOC’s Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures, provide guidance about how to determine if employer tests and selection procedures are lawful for purposes of Title VII disparate impact analysis. The EEOC’s Uniform Guidelines 4/5ths ___ is essentially a ___ of thumb for for determining whether the selection rate for one group is “substantially” different than the selection rate of another group. The ___ states that one rate is substantially different than another if their ratio is less than four-fifths (or 80%).
In Bostock v. Clayton County (2019) the Supreme Court held that
an employer who fires an individual employee for being ___ or transgender does violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act’s prohibition against discrimination “because of . . . Sex.” (Describing the background facts of this case, the Supreme Court decision, and Congress's response would be a good essay question.)
Historically the courts have ordered ___ when the employer has been found in violation of Title VII. The courts have consistently held that remedial ___ plans—plans set up to remedy prior illegal discrimination—are permissible under Title VII because such plans may be necessary to overcome the effects of the employer’s prior illegal discrimination.
In Wards Cove Packing Co. v. Antonio (1989) the Supreme Court held that one way to demonstrate that hiring practices had a disparate impact on a particular race is ___ comparing the racial composition of the employer’s workforce with the racial composition of the labor market from which applicants are drawn. If this comparison shows that there is a disparate impact, the employer must then demonstrate that the practice at issue is job-related for the position in question, and is consistent with business necessity.
___of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 became the foundation of most modern federal equal employment opportunity (EEO) law. ___ prohibits discrimination in employment based on race, color, sex, religion, or national origin.
Important regulations that the EEOC enforces include regulations specifying ___ requirements and regulations specifying notice posting requirements under Title VII. (Describing these regs and the purposes they serve in fulfilling the goals of Title VII would be a good essay question.)
Disparate treatment can be proven two ways, with direct evidence of discrimination or with ___ (circumstantial) evidence of discrimination. Examples of
direct evidence of disparate treatment include
an admission “I did not hire Joe because he is Black,” or
a “whites only” job advertisement. Examples of ___ evidence of discrimination include when only persons of a particular race, color, or other protected characteristic are hired for a particular job category, to the exclusion of others, or when
a person with lesser qualifications (education, experience, etc.) is hired instead of someone of a different race, color, or other protected characteristic who has superior qualifications.
Even if an employer contesting a disparate impact claim makes a showing that the employment practice in question is ___ for the position in question, and is consistent with business necessity, if the plaintiff can demonstrate that an alternative employment practiceone without a disparate impactis available, and the employer refuses to adopt it, the employer is still in violation of the act.
“Jim Crow” state and local laws varied from state to state and town to town, but included, among other things:
African Americans forbidden to enter public parks, pools, amusement parks;
___ waiting rooms in bus and train stations, water fountains, restrooms, building entrances, elevators, cemeteries, phone booths, hospitals, asylums, jails and residential homes for the elderly and handicapped;
Laws forbidding African Americans from living in white neighborhoods; criminalization of
marriage and cohabitation between white and Black people; ___ schools;
separate textbooks for Black and white students;
signs posted at town and city limits warning African Americans that they were not welcome.
Gender-___ discrimination is gender discrimination in violation of Title VII. This type of discrimination involves
an employer who places additional requirements on employees of a certain gender but not on employees of the opposite gender. violates Title VII.
(Identifying or describing a situation involving this type of discrimination would be a good essay question.)
The Supreme Court decided in ___ v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (2007) that A plaintiff may not bring a salary discrimination suit under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when the disparate pay is received during the 180-day statutory limitations period, if that disparate pay is the result of discriminatory pay decisions that occurred outside the limitations period (regardless of when the employee discovers the pay disparity.)
The Civil Rights law finally passed and signed into law 1964 strives to prohibit discrimination in voting, housing, public accommodation, education, and ___.