Dallas Business Lawyer Blog

Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Wal-Mart Gender Discrimination Lawsuit - Dallas, Texas

 
 

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear an appeal in the biggest employment discrimination case in the nation’s history, one claiming that Wal-Mart discriminated against hundreds of thousands of women in pay and promotion. The lawsuit seeks back pay that could amount to billions of dollars.

The question before the court is not whether there was discrimination but rather whether the claims by the individual employees may be combined as a class action. The court’s decision on that issue will almost certainly affect all sorts of class-action suits, including ones asserting antitrust, securities and product liability, as well as other claims.

If nothing else, many pending class actions will slow or stop while litigants and courts await the decision in the case. Arguments in the case are likely to be heard this spring with a decision expected by the end of June.

For more information regarding gender discrimination in Texas, go to www.businesslawyerdallastexas.com or call 214-855-0034.

 

Dell Settles Gender Discrimination Lawsuit For 9.1 Million

 

Dell Inc. agreed Thursday to pay $9.1 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that claimed the company had discriminated against female employees.

In October, two former employees, Jill Hubley and Laura Guenther, sued Dell in federal court in Austin, alleging a "practice of gender discrimination with respect to compensating and promoting female employees" within the company.

Under the settlement, Dell will provide $5.6 million back pay for female employees and former female employees who were in certain job grades between early 2007 and the end of 2008.

That money also will cover $1.1 million in plaintiffs' legal costs.

Another $3.5 million will be used to establish a pay-equity fund for current female employees in certain job grades covered by the lawsuit. Those grades include management and non-management positions.

Dell admitted no wrongdoing.

Police Officer Wins Gender Discrimination Suit

 

The city of Beaumont must pay one of its police officers $75,000 after a jury on Jan. 15 found the city denied her transfer request because of her gender. Tina Lewallen claimed she applied for one of two open positions in the city's Special Crimes Unit in 2003 but was passed over in favor of two less-qualified men. She contended that in total, only two women and two men had applied for the positions, and both spots were given to the men despite their lack of seniority and one man's spotty disciplinary history. She alleged there were other instances of gender discrimination as well, but her complaints were ignored by the department. The city contended that the officers chosen for the positions were the best and most qualified and that gender was not a factor.