I thought I’d host the pdf of the 9th Circuit’s opinion regarding the gender bias suit against Wal-Mart for the benefit of those who might be interested. The 9th Circuit’s website is pretty slow, so it’s probably more convenient to download from the file from here anyway.
Here’s some of the preliminary text:
BACKGROUND
Plaintiffs’ Third Amended Complaint, brought on behalf of certain named plaintiffs and those similarly situated, asserts claims against Wal-Mart for sex discrimination under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Plaintiffs allege that women employed in Wal-Mart stores: (1) are paid less than men in comparable positions, despite having higher performance ratings and greater seniority; and (2) receive fewer—and wait longer for—promotions to in-store management positions than men. Plaintiffs contend that Wal-Mart’s strong, centralized structure fosters or facilitates gender stereotyping and discrimination, that the policies and practices underlying this discriminatory treatment are consistent throughout Wal-Mart stores, and that this discrimination is common to all women who work or have worked in Wal-Mart stores.
Plaintiffs sought to certify a nationwide class of women who have been subjected to these allegedly discriminatory pay and promotion policies. The proposed class consists of women employed in a range of Wal-Mart positions, from part-time entry-level hourly employees to salaried managers. The class seeks injunctive and declaratory relief, back pay, and punitive damages, but not traditional “compensatory” damages. Plaintiffs proposed that the district court certify the following class pursuant to Rule 23: All women employed at any Wal-Mart domestic retail store at any time since December 26, 1998 who have been or may be subjected to Wal-Mart’s challenged pay and management track promotions policies and practices.
After the parties had conducted extensive discovery and filed copious briefs, the district court heard oral argument. At the hearing, Wal-Mart emphasized the “historic” nature of Plaintiffs’ motion, including the size of the putative class, involving women employees at Wal-Mart’s 3,400 stores in 41 regions. The court acknowledged Wal-Mart’s concerns but noted that, while the class size was large, the issues were not unusual.
The district court issued an eighty-four-page order granting in part and denying in part Plaintiffs’ motion for class certification. With respect to Plaintiffs’ claims for equal pay, the district court granted Plaintiffs’ certification motion as to issues of alleged discrimination and all forms of requested relief. With respect to Plaintiffs’ promotion claim, the court’s holding was mixed. The court certified the proposed class with respect to issues of alleged discrimination (including liability for punitive damages, as well as injunctive and declaratory relief); however, the court rejected the proposed class with respect to the request for back pay, determining that data relating to the challenged promotions were not available for all class members. The court also exercised its discretion to provide for notice and an opportunity for employees to opt-out of the punitive damages portion of the class.
