The time for filing charges of discrimination: the supreme court's decision and its aftermath

The US Supreme Court's five to four decision in Ledbetter v Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co Inc resolved a conflict among the courts of appeals regarding the proper application of the statute of limitations to pay discrimination claims arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). The Ledbetter decision held that petitioner Lilly Ledbetter's Title VII claim was untimely because she did not file a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) within 180 days of the allegedly discriminatory pay decisions. The potential long term impact of Ledbetter remains unclear given the likelihood of federal legislation overturning the decision and the uncertainty about whether state anti-discrimination laws would be interpreted to follow the Ledbetter decision. At least in the short term, however, Ledbetter governs pay discrimination claims under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991.