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From Suffrage to the Senate America's Political Women: An Encyclopedia of Leaders, Causes & Issues

Weeks v. Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company (1969)

In Weeks v. Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company, the first sex discrimination case to reach an appellate court, Lorena Weeks challenged Southern Bell’s contention that sex was a bona fide occupational qualification for the job of switchman. Southern Bell argued that the job was strenuous, that a switchman was occasionally required to work alone during late-night hours, and that the State of Georgia’s protective legislation prevented women from holding jobs that required them to lift more than 30 pounds. Weeks argued that the state’s protective policy and Southern Bell’s hiring policy violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against her on the basis of sex.

The Fifth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals noted that Georgia had replaced the limit on the amount that women could lift with a broader policy. The appeals court agreed with Weeks, saying: “Labeling a job ‘strenuous’ does not meet the burden of proving that the job falls within the bona fide occupational qualification exception.” It further noted that the company’s concerns about women working late at night conflicted with the reality that other women employees were called in to work during emergencies. The court wrote: “Title VII rejects just this type of romantic paternalism as unduly Victorian and instead invests individual women with the power to decide whether or not to take on unromantic tasks.” The court found that Southern Bell’s refusal to hire women for the job of switchman violated Title VII.

See also: Bona Fide Occupational Qualification; Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII; Employment Discrimination

References: Weeks v. Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company, 408 F.2d 228 (1969).

Citation Types

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Format
MLA 9th
"Weeks V. Southern Bell Telephone And Telegraph Company (1969)." From Suffrage to the Senate America's Political Women: An Encyclopedia of Leaders, Causes & Issues, edited by Suzanne O’Dea, Salem Press, 2019. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=Suffrage3e_0974.
APA 7th
Weeks v. Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company (1969). From Suffrage to the Senate America's Political Women: An Encyclopedia of Leaders, Causes & Issues, In S. O’Dea (Ed.), Salem Press, 2019. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=Suffrage3e_0974.
CMOS 17th
"Weeks V. Southern Bell Telephone And Telegraph Company (1969)." From Suffrage to the Senate America's Political Women: An Encyclopedia of Leaders, Causes & Issues, Edited by Suzanne O’Dea. Salem Press, 2019. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=Suffrage3e_0974.