Last year, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court’s decision to certify a sex discrimination class action lawsuit filed against Wal-Mart on behalf of up to 2 million current and former female employees. Last month, the Ninth Circuit has now reaffirmed its ruling, thus putting the suit one step closer to being decided on the merits, although the appeals court did leave the door open for Wal-Mart to petition the court to have the class certification issue reheard by a full panel of Ninth Circuit judges.
The case involves allegations that Wal-Mart discriminated against women at its 3,400 stores throughout the United States with respect to promotions, job assignments, training, and pay, and that women were demeaned and stereotyped in the workplace. Lawyers for the women have estimated that damages in the case could run into the billions of dollars.
For more information on the case, see the April 2007 issue of the California Employer Advisor.
Additional Resources:
Articles on Sex Discrimination
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Sex-Based Discrimination Information
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