Supreme Court to Hear Wal-Mart Bias Case

By Richard Gibson
Dec 6 2010

The US Supreme Court announced this morning that they will hear the case against Wal-Mart that accuses the world’s largest retailer of bias against women.

The case has been moving forward for the past two years. However, Wal-Mart managed to throw up a legal blockade that prevented all plaintiffs from forming a class action that could lead to billions in back pay for female employees.

According to the filing, Wal-Mart has systemically denied female employees raises and promotions while promoting men with less seniority and fewer skills. At the current time there are four hundred plaintiffs in the case who are asking for back pay that is owed from the lack of raises and promotions.

The plaintiffs sought class action status in the case but Wal-Mart filed a motion with the federal court that blocked the action. The lawyers for the plaintiffs filed the appeal with the Supreme Court who is only asked to rule on the class action status.

Wal-Mart has argued that class action suits would be detrimental to the overall business of the retailer and could lead to unfair settlements in the case. Thus far they have been able to fend off the filing of class action status but legal experts have said that the Supreme Court will likely find in favor of the defendants.

 If the court decides for the plaintiffs and the case is settled with a positive outcome than Wal-Mart would be responsible for $15 billion in back pay and raises to the plaintiffs.