Ford Motor Co. v. EEOC
United States Supreme Court
458 U.S. 219 (1982)
Three women (claimants) were discriminatorily denied "picker-packer" jobs at Ford (defendant) in 1971 in favor of male applicants, and the EEOC (plaintiff) sued on their behalf under Title VII. While the suit was pending, Ford offered two of the claimants, Gaddis and Starr, the job they had originally sought, but without retroactive seniority dating back to 1971; both declined, unwilling to sacrifice the seniority they'd since accrued elsewhere. The court of appeals found Ford's offer insufficient for failing to include retroactive seniority and awarded back pay through the 1977 trial, and Ford sought Supreme Court review.
Whether an employer charged with discriminatory hiring under Title VII can toll the accrual period for back-pay liability by offering the claimant the job originally denied.