Reference no: EM132167357

Instructions: Write a thread that discusses the situation. Your thread must consist of at least 3 paragraphs. You must summarize the key elements in the case. What legal statute(s) apply to the case? What issue(s) must the court decide in the case? If you were the judge, how would you rule? Did the employer discriminate unlawfully? Why or why not?

The 6 major federal laws that are relevant are Title VII of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 as amended by the Equal Employment Opportunities Act of 1972, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Case:

Thelma Jones had worked at a large public accounting firm for five years when the partners proposed her as a candidate for partnership. Of the 662 partners in the firm, seven were women. Of the 88 persons proposed that year, Jones was the only woman. Forty-seven were admitted to partnership, 21 were rejected, and 20, including Jones, were held for "reconsideration". Thirteen of the 32 pertners who submitted comments on Jones's performance supported her candidacy, three recommended holding her application, either stated that they had insufficient knowledge to comment, and eight recommended denial. While the partners praised her outstanding performance, both supporters and opponents of her candidacy indicated that she was sometime overly aggressive, unduly harsh, difficult to work with, and impatient with staff. One partner described her as "macho". In a meeting with a senior partner about her candidacy, she was told that, to improve her chances for partnership, she should "walk more femininely, talk for femininely, dress for femininely, wear make-up, style her hair, and wear jewelry." When the partners refused to reconsider her candidacy the following year, she sued the firm, charging sex discrimination.