EEOC (Janice Smith) v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

EEOC (Janice Smith) v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is a class-action sexual discrimination lawsuit that was filed on August 24, 2001 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. The plaintiff, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), is suing Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. on behalf of Janice Smith and all other females who have either applied or requested to transfer to the defendant's distribution center in London, Kentucky since 1995 and were denied. The EEOC claims that the distribution center's hiring decisions were based on gender and are in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and seeks back pay for females that were not selected, as well as injunctive and prospective affirmative relief. [http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/104169/000010416905000019/wmt10q_q3fy2006.htm Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Form 10-Q for the Quarterly Period Ended October 31, 2005 ] ]

The EEOC is able to grant this case class-action status without certification from the district court. Wal-Mart has claimed that it is unable to estimate the amount of money it will lose as a result of this lawsuit.

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