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Enforcing The Rights Of Due Process: The Original Relationship Between The Fourteenth Amendment And The 1866 Civil Rights Act, Kurt T. Lash

Law Faculty Publications

For more than a century, legal scholars have looked to the 1866 Civil Rights Act for clues regarding the original meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment. Because the 1866 version of the Act protected only citizens of the United States, most scholars believe that the Act should be used as a guide to understanding the Fourteenth Amendment’s citizenship-based Privileges or Immunities Clause. A close look at the original sources, however, reveals that the 1866 Civil Rights Act protected rights then associated with the requirements of due process. The man who drafted Section One of the Fourteenth Amendment, John Bingham, expressly described …

Modern "Sappers And Miners": The Rehnquist And Roberts Courts And The Civil Rights Act Of 1964, Jonathan K. Stubbs

Law Faculty Publications

o orient readers on what is at stake, Section I provides a brief overview of the substantive provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Section II considers reasons why the Act was premised on Congress' Commerce Clause authority rather than the enforcement power that the Constitution confers upon Congress under the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments. Section III evaluates several recent Supreme Court decisions that give the Commerce Clause a restrictive interpretation. For illustrative purposes, this section ex- plores the impact on Title Two of the Act. Finally, the article closes with a few observations of the implications of the …

The Origins Of The Privileges Or Immunities Clause, Part Iii: Andrew Johnson And The Constitutional Referendum Of 1866, Kurt T. Lash

Law Faculty Publications

This Article divides the events of 1866 into four phases. First, I discuss the early framing debates and the political rupture between congressional Republicans and President Andrew Johnson that occurred in the spring of 1866. Johnson’s March 27 veto of the Civil Rights Act and the congressional override were major public events and signaled what would become the central issue in the fall elections: whether the southern states should be readmitted without condition, or whether they must first be forced to protect the rights of citizens of the United States. The second Part discusses the final framing and initial public …

The Cost Of Non-Compensable Workplace Harm, Henry L. Chambers, Jr.

Law Faculty Publications

This essay briefly addresses the limited fashion in which Title VII remedies sex discrimination in the workplace. Those limitations fall into three broad categories. The first encompasses how courts have applied procedural rules to Title VII claims. The second involves Title VII's explicit limitation on its coverage. The third includes substantive limitations that courts have placed on causes of action that are clearly covered by Title VII. This essay addresses those categories in turn.

Targeting Demand: A New Approach To Curbing Human Trafficking In The United States, Morgan Brown

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

(Un)Welcome Conduct And The Sexually Hostile Environment, Henry L. Chambers, Jr.

Law Faculty Publications

As courts refine the theory underlying sexual harassment and sex discrimination, the unwelcomeness inquiry may become irrelevant to determining whether gender-based conduct is sexually harassing. In addition, the one possible remaining purpose that the unwelcomeness requirement may serve-providing notice to a putative harasser or its employer-is now served by an affirmative defense applicable to many sexual harassment claims. Consequently, its role should be reexamined. This Article does that. Part I of the Article describes a hypothetical situation that provides a context in which to consider unwelcomeness. Part II provides a brief overview of the evolving sexual harassment jurisprudence. Part III …

Annual Survey Of Virginia Law: Labor And Employment Law, Thomas M. Winn Iii

University of Richmond Law Review

This article discusses six areas of labor and employment law in which there was significant activity in Virginia's courts over the past year: (1) covenants not to compete and employee's fiduciary duties to employers; (2) the doctrine of respondeat superior; (3) negligent hiring, retention, and supervision; (4) wrongful discharge in violation of public policy; (5) workers' compensation exclusivity; and (6) employment agreements. Beyond the scope of this article are decisions rendered in other areas of law that affect the employment relationship, including defamation, claims under Virginia's Occupational Safety and Health Act, public employment claims, and unemployment compensation claims.

Holding The Same-Sex Sexual Harassment Claim At Arm's Length: The Supreme Court's Strict [And Correct] Interpretation Of Title Vii In Oncale V. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc., Thomas I. Queen Jr.

University of Richmond Law Review

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids an employer from "discriminat[ing] against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual's ...sex." In addition to prohibiting discriminatory hiring practices based on the potential employee's sex, the Supreme Court has extended the language of Title VII to afford employees a remedy for sexual harassment in the workplace.

A Uniform Standard For Exemplary Damages In Employment Discrimination Cases, Judith J. Johnson

University of Richmond Law Review

The standards for exemplary damages in employment discrimination cases are in disarray. The major federal provisions that prohibit private employment discrimination, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ("Title VII"),2 42 U.S.C. § 1981 ("§ 1981"), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act ("ADEA"), and the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"), all have an indistinguishably worded standard for assessing exemplary damages: "reckless indifference to federally protected rights."

Austin Owen Lecture: Difficulties, Dangers & Challenges Facing The Judiciary Today, Robert E. Payne

University of Richmond Law Review

Judge Payne presented this address at The Sixth Annual Austin Owen Lecture on November 18, 1997. The Honorable Austin E. Owen attended Richmond College from 1946-47 and received his law degree from The T.C. Williams School of Law in 1950. During his distinguished career, Judge Owen served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; a partner in Owen, Gray, Rhodes, Betz, Smith and Dickerson; and was appointed Judge of the Second Judicial Circuit of Virginia where he served until his retirement in 1990. The Law School community grieved the loss of this distinguished alumnus upon his …

Advisory Opinions By Federal Courts, Phillip M. Kannan

University of Richmond Law Review

Since 1793, the affirmative grant of authority to federal courts in Article III of the Constitution to hear and decide cases or controversies has been interpreted to prohibit these courts from giving advisory opinions. In that year, United States Supreme Court Chief Justice Jay, Justice Cushing, and District Judge Duane rejected a provision in a 1792 act of Congress that would have required the Supreme Court to settle federal pension claims of widows and orphans subject to the approval of the Secretary of War. The basis for the position taken by the Chief Justice was "that neither the legislative nor …

Will Inquiry Produce Action? Studying The Effects Of Gender In The Federal Courts, Lynn Hecht Schafran

University of Richmond Law Review

When the Ninth Circuit Gender Bias Task Force released its report at the Circuit's 1992 Judicial Conference, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor offered this perspective:

A couple of years ago, I gave a speech in which I discussed the existence of a glass ceiling for women. The next day, headlines and newspaper articles trumpeted my statements as if I had made a surprising new discovery. But it is now 1992, and I don't think most of us were surprised to learn that the [Ninth Circuit] Task Force found the exis- tence of gender bias in a federal circuit. After all, over …

Annual Survey Of Virginia Law: Environmental Law, Kelley A. Kinney, Andrea West Wortzel

University of Richmond Law Review

This article reviews the key environmental developments at the federal and state levels during the period from June 1996 to June 1998. Legislation and judicial decisions are presented topically. Certain issues, such as public participation and environmental justice, are playing an increasing role and will likely impact all media.

The Age Discrimination In Employment Act At Thirty: Where It's Been, Where It Is Today, Where It's Going, Howard C. Eglit

University of Richmond Law Review

Thirty-three years ago, in the course of debating the legislation that eventually was enacted into law as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Congress began-albeit very tentatively-to address age discrimination in the workplace. While it rejected attempts to amend the 1964 bill to include age within the then-pending menu of proscribed bases for workplace decision-making, i.e., race, color, national origin, religion, and sex, Congress did direct the Secretary of Labor to undertake a study to ascertain the nature and extent of age bias in employment and to make recommendations for dealing with this discrimination, if it in fact existed.

Wards Cove Packing Or Not Wards Cove Packing? That Is Not The Question: Some Thoughts On Impact Analysis Under The Age Discrimination In Employment Act, Mack A. Player

University of Richmond Law Review

Assume two employers, A and B. Each gives a separate objective test to select employees for a particular position. Employer A utilizes a pen-and-paper, multiple choice examination that has questions in three major categories: 1) biology and genetics which includes DNA theory, cloning, etc.; 2) astrophysics, with questions about time, space, light relationships, "black holes," novas, etc. and 3) microprocessor engineering, the internet, silicon chips, and the like.

"The Harvest Is Plentiful, But The Laborers Are Few": Hiring Practices And Religiously Affiliated Universities, Robert John Araujo

University of Richmond Law Review

This is a paper with a modest goal about an immodest topic: how mankind does God's work in this world. In particular, I address a small part of this rather large question: how do religiously affiliated schools make their modest contribution to this work? More particularly, who gets chosen to be a laborer in bringing in the plentiful harvest. The laborer is the teacher or administrator, the vineyard is the religiously affiliated university or college of the late twentieth century United States. Consequently, I address employment practices: who gets hired as a laborer and by what criteria is this special …

The Civil Rights Act Of 1991, Retroactivity, And Continuing Violations: The Effect Of Landgraf V. Usi Film Products And Rivers V. Roadway, Leonard Charles Presberg

University of Richmond Law Review

The Civil Rights Act of 1991 (the Act) made significant changes to the major employment discrimination statutes. In addition to restoring the law that was in effect prior to a number of Supreme Court decisions which eroded the civil rights statutes, the Act also added remedies that were omitted from previous legislation. One important area that was unclear at the time of the Act's passage was the issue of retroactivity. In light of the Act's unclear legislative history, ambiguous statutory language, and seemingly contradictory Supreme Court precedent, the Act's retroactive nature has been widely litigated and discussed.

Mireles V. Waco: The Supreme Court Prescribes The Bitter Pill Of Judicial Immunity And Summary Reversal, Linwood I. Rogers

University of Richmond Law Review

This language opened Justice Douglas' stinging dissent in the 1967 United States Supreme Court decision of Pierson v. Ray, holding that section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act did not abolish the common law doctrine of judicial immunity. Eleven years later, the Court expanded and redefined the scope of the doctrine of judicial immunity in Stump v. Sparkman. The Stump Court attached immunity to actions of a judicial nature taken by a judge in his judicial capacity where such actions were not taken in the clear absence of all jurisdiction. But rather than clarifying the doctrine of judicial immunity, the …

Americans With Disabilities Act: Dispelling The Myths. A Practical Guide To Eeoc's Voodoo Civil Rights And Wrongs, Charles D. Goldman

University of Richmond Law Review

The time is at hand for reality to replace expectation as the employment provisions of the federal mandate not to discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities, the Americans with Disabilities Act (the "ADA"), are now the law of the land. A new era of rights, responsibilities, and opportunities dawned for private and governmental employers, and disabled persons when the rules of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") went into effect on July 26, 1992. A practical, common sense utilization of institutional solutions complemented by individualized applications, not ad hoc reactions, is essential. Other- wise employers' worst fears will …

Putting The Teeth Back Into The Bfoq Requirement Of Title Vii And The Pregnancy Discrimination Act: International Union V. Johnson Controls, Inc., M. Chris Floyd

University of Richmond Law Review

In a resounding victory for women's and workers' rights, the U.S. Supreme Court has found that a Wisconsin battery manufacturer, in barring women without proof of infertility from jobs involving exposure to lead, violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Supreme Court As A Political Institution, Benjamin L. Hooks

University of Richmond Law Review

The august Supreme Court of the United States is a political institution and has been virtually from the beginning. That today's Court finds itself at the center of intense ideological and political debate should surprise few serious students of American political and constitutional history.

Franklin V. Gwinnett County Public Schools: The Implication Of Remedies For An Implied Cause Of Action, Ellen F. Firsching

University of Richmond Law Review

According to the common law doctrine of ubi jus, ibi remedium, where there is a right, there is a remedy. The United States Supreme Court has long recognized the validity of this doctrine. Traditionally, the Court was very liberal in recognizing private rights of action, and granting injunctive and monetary relief for violations of constitutional and statutory rights in the absence of explicit congressional authorization. In Bell v. Hood, the Supreme Court stated: "[W]here federally protected rights have been invaded, it has been the rule from the beginning that courts will be alert to adjust their remedies so as to …

At-Will Employment: Going, Going, Cheryl S. Massingale

University of Richmond Law Review

The doctrine of at-will employment is undergoing serious erosion. At-will employment has traditionally meant that either party in an employment relationship is free to terminate employment at any time for any reason. In recent years, however, court rulings have created many exceptions to the at-will rule, and the current status of the doctrine offers little certainty as to whether a particular dismissal decision will result in liability for wrongful termination.

Potential Employer Liability For Employee References, Kyle E. Skopic

University of Richmond Law Review

Employers are having second thoughts about giving employee references. Until recently, prior employers willingly passed on significant amounts of employee information to prospective employers. However, the increasing propensity of individuals and companies to sue over undesirable or inadequate references has made many employers reluctant to give out frank and detailed references. As courts continue to explore privacy and employee rights, employers will be forced to weigh the benefits of providing references' against the possibility of defending a costly lawsuit.

The Validity Of Court-Ordered Employment Quotas: A Statutory And Constitutional Analysis, Paul E. Mirengoff

University of Richmond Law Review

Although Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 has produced more than its share of difficult legal and moral issues, none has sparked more controversy than the question of the validity of hiring and promotion quotas. This issue has fueled continuous debate in the popular press and in scholarly journals. It has long divided former allies in the fight for civil rights legislation, and has even divided the two government agencies charged with primary responsibility for enforcing anti-discrimination laws, the Department of Justice and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Employment Discrimination-Seniority Systems Under Title Vii: American Tobacco Co. V. Pattersonand Pullman-Standard V. Swint, Joseph D. Mccluskey

University of Richmond Law Review

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 "is a broad remedial measure designed 'to assure equality of employment opportunities.'" The Su- preme Court, in the seminal Title VII employment discrimination case, Griggs v. Duke Power Co.,s stated that "[t]he objective of Congress in the enactment of Title VII ...was to achieve equality of employment oppor- tunities and remove barriers that have operated in the past to favor an identifiable group of white employees over other employees."" The Griggs decision has provided the basic framework for analyzing employment dis- crimination cases. The Court held that any employment practices, proce- …

Title Ix And Employment Discrimination: North Haven Board Of Education V. Bell, Claire G. Cardwell

University of Richmond Law Review

In 1972, Congress enacted Title IX of the Education Amendments in response to widespread sex discrimination by educational institutions. The goal of the statute was to prevent the use of federal funds to support discriminatory practices by institutions of higher education. In 1975, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) issued regulations pursuant to sections 901 and 902 of Title IX. These regulations were specifically directed at the employment practices of federally funded education programs.

Unemployment Compensation Benefits: Part Of A Balanced Package Of Relief For Sexual Harassment Victims, Meri Arnett-Kremian

University of Richmond Law Review

Although sexual harrassment was once a topic discussed so rarely as to be almost taboo, it now is subject to much analysis. Books and articles in magazines and professional journals have helped define the parameters of the problem, treating it both as a sociological phenomenon and as a legal issue. Articles discussing the legal aspects of sexual harassment tend to concentrate exclusively on the arsenal of litigation weapons available to a potential plaintiff, despite the fact that the vast majority of women who experience harassment will choose not to sue, and those who do will often wait years before they …

The Repudiation Of Plato: A Lawyer's Guide To The Educational Rights Of Handicapped Children, Robert E. Shepherd Jr.

University of Richmond Law Review

Plato's solution for the handicapped children of Athens advanced some 2400 years ago was rejected by the Supreme Court of the United States in famous dictum in Meyer v. Nebraska as being "ideas. . . wholly different from those upon which our institutions rest .... " However, it took about half a century for the ultimate repudiation of the ideas espoused by the great philosopher as the Supreme Court's 1923 dictum finally bore fruit in federal court decisions establishing a constitutional right to education for handicapped children and in a congressional definition of such a right in the Education for …

A Technical Look At The Eighty Per Cent Rule As Applied To Employee Selection Procedures, Jacob Van Bowen Jr., C. Allen Riggins

University of Richmond Law Review

In litigation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, statistical data has been referred to as "the only game in town." This characterization only slightly overstates the importance of statistical data to prove or rebut a case of employment discrimination. In the first decade of Title VII litigation, statistical analysis in the courts was relatively uncomplicated, sometimes involving a mere recital of percentage differences or lack thereof between minority and majority classes. In recent years, however, courts and Title VII litigants have begun to take a more sophisticated view of the use of statistics in Title VII …