Academic

AT&T v. Hulteen

By Ann Bartow

Anya Prince at the NWLC’s Womenstake blog reports:

Before the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) of 1978 clearly made such practices unlawful, AT&T gave substantially less leave for pregnancy than for other short-term disabilities.

Today, the women who were treated unequally because they took pregnancy leave before the PDA was passed are facing discrimination once again. Noreen Hulteen is one of four women who sued AT&T after they received notice of their pension benefits. They learned that those benefits were lower than they would otherwise have been because they did not get credit for most of their pregnancy leave.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected AT&T?s claims that the women weren?t entitled to any relief because the company?s denial of credit for pregnancy leave wasn?t illegal when it occurred. Ruling in favor of Hulteen and the other women, the 9th Circuit held that AT&T?s post-PDA decisions to set the discriminatory pensions were unlawful employment practices.

Now, the Supreme Court has decided to review the 9th Circuit?s decision.

SCOTUSblog has more information and links to relevant filings about this case.

–Ann Bartow

Full post as published by Feminist Law Professors on July 01, 2008 (boomark / email).