International Union, UAW v. Johnson Controls, Inc.

Battery manufacturer Johnson Controls, Inc. (Johnson) (defendant) adopted a fetal-protection policy barring women capable of becoming pregnant — unless they proved medically they could not bear children — from jobs involving lead exposure, given lead's known risks to fetal development. Affected employees (plaintiffs) challenging the policy included a woman sterilized to keep her job, a woman who took a pay cut after being transferred out of a lead-exposed position, and a man denied leave he sought to lower his own lead levels before becoming a father. The district court granted summary judgment for Johnson, and the Seventh Circuit affirmed, finding the policy a valid business necessity.