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US supreme court to hear Walmart sex discrimination case

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Summary of story from the Guardian, March 28, 2011

A landmark sex discrimination case between a 60-year old female Walmart employee and the supermarket giant will be heard in the US supreme court this week.

Betty Dukes, a Walmart greeter, filed a sex discrimination suit against Walmart in 2000, claiming she had been denied adequate training for her to get a promotion.

On Tuesday the supreme court will rule whether Dukes and fellow female Walmart employees can bring a class action against Walmart (see WVoN story).

Legal experts believe the case, the largest sex discrimination case in history, could redefine discrimination law.

Melissa Hart, director of the Byron R White Centre for the Study of American Consitutional Law at the University of Colorado School of Law, said that the supreme court’s ruling could have a profound impact for other groups of women bringing sex discrimination suits against employers in the US.

“It’s been decades since we have had courts examine a case as important as this,” she said, adding that a loss would “make it increasingly difficult for women to challenge discrimination in the work place.”

If the court rules in Dukes’ favour, lawyers expect a new set of discrimination class actions to be brought on behalf of women, and minority groups or people with disabilities.

A Walmart victory, though, “would be a major blow for nationwide job-bias suits.”

Melissa Hart said she expects a ruling to be made by June.

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