Your thread must consist of at least 3 paragraphs and be structured as follows:

1. Summarize the key elements in the case. What legal statute(s) apply to the case? (See the list at the beginning of Exercise 17 for the 6 major federal laws.)
2. What issue(s) must the court decide in the case?
3. If you were the judge, how would you rule? Did the employer discriminate unlawfully? Why or why not?

Thread

Edward Roberts, a black truck driver, applied in person for a tractor trailer truck driver position at a trucking company on March 31, 2005, in response to a newspaper ad. Roberts’ application listed 22 months of prior experience as a road driver. He had an additional 10 years of experience which he did not list on the application due to a lack of space on the form. Roberts was neither interviewed nor contacted by the company about the status of his application. In June 2005, Roberts saw an identical advertisement for tractor trailer truck drivers. Upon inquiry, Roberts learned that eight persons (all white) had been hired as truck drivers between April and June 2005. All of those hired had less than 22 months of driving experience. The company contended that Roberts was not hired because no opening existed when he applied. Roberts filed a discrimination complaint in District Court.

Six laws

1. To help you understand the application of the six major federal laws that regulate equal rights in employment. These laws are Title VII of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 as amended by the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
2. To help you understand the court’s interpretation of these laws.
3. To help you understand the legal definition of discrimination and the burden of proof placed on defendants and plaintiffs.