In 1982, Johnson Controls, Inc., a battery manufacturer, instituted a fetal protection policy banning women capable of becoming pregnant from high paying manufacturing jobs. A key component in batteries is lead, which has been found to be dangerous to developing fetuses and reproductive systems. The company denied high paying manufacturing jobs to women of child bearing age, unless they proved they were medically unable to become pregnant. Even though it was proved that high exposures to lead are hazardous to male reproduction systems as well as female, only women were targeted with this policy. A class action lawsuit was filed by the workers’ union claiming this policy discriminated against women. The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled this policy did violate Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
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