Michelle has over 10 years of customer service experience and four years management experience. Written and curated by real attorneys at Quimbee. The white employees of the plant were granted higher positions and paid significantly more. In Griggs v. Duke Power (1971), the Supreme Court ruled that, under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, tests measuring intelligence could not be used in hiring and firing decisions. v. Duke Power Co. Griggs v. Duke Power pioneered disparate impact as a legal claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Prior to Title VII, black employees could not work in four of the five departments at Duke nor could they achieve the same wage as a white employee. The Aftermath of Griggs vs. Duke Power Company Case 1108 Words | 4 Pages. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, an employer involved in interstate commerce cannot: Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, can an employer require an employee to graduate high school, or pass standardized tests that are unrelated to job performance? The District Court ruled in favor of Duke Power Company, but the Supreme Court then reversed the decision and indeed found the testing as a disparate impact, which is proof that an employer's practice, policy or rule negatively affects a protected class. They reasoned that because the high school and testing … Citation401 U.S. 424 (1971). The company also argued that the tests could be used under section 703h of the Civil Rights Act, which allows "any professionally developed ability test" that is not "designed, intended or used to discriminate because of race[.]". It concerned employment discrimination and the adverse impact theory, and was decided on March 8, 1971. Griggs v. Duke Power Company 401 U.S. 424 (1971) DOES TITLE VII BAR ANY JOB REQUIREMENT THAT BLACKS FAIL MORE OFTEN THAN WHITES, AND THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS UNNECESARY? Plaintiffs would also need to show that the company refused to adopt different, non-discriminatory practices. Griggs v. Duke Power Company is a historical case of employees who took a stand against workplace discrimination. All rights reserved. Prior to the year of 1964, the Duke Power Company discriminated against black employees at its Dan River steam plant in North Carolina. griggs v. DUKE POWER CO Negro employees at respondent's generating plant brought this action, pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, challenging respondent's requirement of a high school diploma or passing of intelligence tests as a condition of employment in or transfer to jobs at the plant. Prior history: Reversed in part, 420 F.2d 1225. first two years of college and save thousands off your degree. Instead, the company intended to use the tests to increase the overall quality of the workplace. The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Warren Burger, ruled that testing is a fair practice if done correctly to qualify the best candidates, but the operation of the testing in this instance was discriminatory. It is generally considered the first case of its type. She has also worked at the Superior Court of San Francisco's ACCESS Center. Earn Transferable Credit & Get your Degree, McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. 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Otherwise, they run afoul of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. D.L. Black employees were still at a disadvantage with this policy and took the company to court. Decided March 8, 1971. To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page. United States Supreme Court. {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}} lessons Holding Ruling: As neither the high school graduation requirement nor the two aptitude tests was directed or intended to measure an employee's ability to learn or perform a particular job or category of jobs, the court concluded that Duke Energy's policies were discriminatory and illegal. 's' : ''}}. An error occurred trying to load this video. TO THE RULE OF GRIGGS V. DUKE POWER COMPANY James P. Scanlan* In Connecticut v. Teal1 the Supreme Court issued a ruling of major importance to the way the law defines employment dis­ crimination. , Stewart, white, Marshall, and was decided on March 8, 1971 case decided by the Court. 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