Griggs V Duke Power Case Study

Griggs v. Duke Power
The case of Griggs v. Duke Power was a Title VII of the Civil rights Act of 1964 violation case that involved thirteen african american employees of Duke Power Company’s Dan River Steam Station.The african american employees of Duke Power Company challenged the company respondent 's requirement of a high school diploma or passing of intelligence tests as a condition of employment in or transfer to jobs at the plant. These requirements were not directed at or intended to measure the ability to learn and perform any particular job at Duke Power Company. The thirteen african american employees of Duke Power Company felt that these testing methods was a violation of Title VII Civil Rights Act 703(a) and 703(h)( FindLaw). The
The company policy was implemented soon after the United States Congress passed the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the company installed this policy to keep the best jobs for white employees. This policy was a direct violation of the Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964, which impacted the way Duke Power handled new standards for hiring, promotion, and transfer promotion, and transfers. In order to work in positions outside of the labor department, Duke Power Company now required a high school diploma or scores on standardized IQ tests equal to those of the average high school graduate(Grigg’s). The new standard for hiring, promotions, and transfer was meant to provide a better workplace standard for all of the company. The thirteen african american employees of Duke Power Company did not feel this way, the employees lawyer Jack Greenberg argued against Duke Power Company policy changes in December 1970 by
Although the testing and diploma criteria disqualified African-Americans at a substantially higher rate than whites, Duke Power never established that they successfully measured ability to do the jobs in question”(NAACP). The lawyer team for the thirteen african american employees of the Duke Power Company conveniening argument, resulted in the United States Supreme Court groundbreaking decision to rule against Duke Power Company(Findlaw’s). The ruling found that Duke Power Company had violated the Title VII because of their company discriminatory practices the Supreme Court explains the case conclusion Title VII purpose is not to restrict testing or diploma requirement for a company hiring or promotions, the act is here to stop segregation Title VII in no way prohibits testing or diploma requirements for hiring or promotions. Indeed, when they are properly developed and used, tests and other employment criteria can be effective, efficient means for employers to evaluate applicants. But as the Court explained in Griggs, “What Congress has commanded is that any tests used must measure the person for the job and not the person in the abstract.”