On July 27, 2001, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Seattle office filed a lawsuit under Title VII against the National Education Association in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. The complainants later intervened as private plaintiffs in the case. The plaintiffs alleged that the defendants had violated the rights of the complainants by discriminating against them on the basis of their gender (which was female), creating a "sex-based hostile work environment."

The District Court (Judge James K. Singleton) granted summary judgment to the defendants, and the plaintiffs appealed. On September 2, 2005, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Judges Goodwin, Brunetti, and Fletcher) reversed the finding of summary judgment and remanded the case back to the District Court. E.E.O.C. v. National Educ. Ass'n, Alaska, 422 F.3d 840 (9th Cir. 2005).

On February 23, 2006, the parties entered into mediation, and on May 18, 2006, they filed a consent decree with the District Court. Under the terms of the consent decree, which was to last for three years, the defendants were enjoined from discriminating against employees on the basis of gender, and they were required to pay the defendants a lump sum of $750,000 in damages. The defendants were also required to expunge the employment records of the complainants, getting rid of any negative records that were associated with the discrimination at issue in this case. Defendants agreed to provide training to all employees regarding the techniques for investigating and addressing discrimination problems. Full workplace training would occur no later than December 2006, and annually thereafter. On May 19, 2006, the District Court (Judge Singleton) adopted the consent decree and dismissed the case.

Kristen Sagar - 02/05/2008


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