Ledbetter V. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co

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In the realm of employment law, few cases have sparked as much discussion and led to significant legislative change as Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 550 U.S. 618 (2007). This case centers on Lilly Ledbetter, who worked for Goodyear in Gadsden, Alabama, from 1979 until her retirement in 1998. The controversy began when Ledbetter received anonymous notes revealing that she was being paid less than her male counterparts for performing the same work. This discovery prompted her to file a lawsuit against Goodyear, alleging gender-based pay discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The case's progression through the legal system and its eventual outcome highlight not only the complexities of employment discrimination law but …show more content…
The crux of Ledbetter's argument against Goodyear rested on the evidence provided by anonymous notes, which disclosed significant disparities in pay between Ledbetter and her male colleagues. This evidence suggested a systematic issue of gender-based pay discrimination within the company. The discrimination was not overt but manifested through the cumulative effect of years of smaller, perhaps individually negligible, pay decisions that collectively resulted in a substantial disparity. The Supreme Court's decision in favor of Goodyear, by a 5-4 vote, was predicated on the interpretation of the statute of limitations under Title VII. The Court held that because Ledbetter did not file her claim within 180 days of Goodyear's initial discriminatory pay decision, her claim was time-barred. This ruling was met with widespread criticism for its narrow interpretation of the statute of limitations, which many believed failed to account for the nature of pay discrimination—a form of discrimination that victims might only become aware of years after its
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