Court Case
Griggs v. Duke Power Company
The Supreme Court held that Title VII prohibits employment practices that are facially neutral but have a discriminatory impact unless the employer can show business necessity.
Year
1971
Impact
Positive
Status
Active
Party
Unknown
Era
Post Civil Rights Era
Impact Context
The decision became a foundational precedent against employment screening rules that disproportionately excluded Black workers without sufficient justification.
What This Policy Did
The decision became a foundational precedent against employment screening rules that disproportionately excluded Black workers without sufficient justification.
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Sources
Oyez • Archive • Mar 8, 1971
Primary decision summary and case record
Supreme Court / Justia • Government
Opinion page for the 1971 decision holding that facially neutral employment practices that disproportionately exclude minority applicants and are not job related may violate Title VII.
Justia • Other
Justia topic page summarizing Griggs as a key employment discrimination case involving disparate impact.
Supreme Court / Justia • Government
Later Supreme Court opinion discussing Griggs and reinforcing the rule against discriminatory employment tests lacking demonstrable job relevance.