Law Commons^™

You Catch More Flies With Honey: Reevaluating The Erroneous Premises Of The Military Exception To Title Vii, Craig Westergard

Marquette Benefits and Social Welfare Law Review

Discrimination is a problem in the military. Though Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination in the “military departments,” courts have held that the statute does not apply to members of the military. The primary justification for this judge-made exception is that Title VII suits might have an adverse effect on military discipline. In their haste to condemn suits for military discrimination, however, courts tend to overlook the negative effects discrimination has on discipline, as well as the positive effects of diversity. This Note calls upon Congress to abrogate the military exception to Title VII; in the …