Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Motorola, Inc.

# EEOC v. Motorola, Inc. (1977) **What Happened** The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sued Motorola, accusing the company of discrimination in hiring and promotion decisions. The EEOC claimed that Motorola's employment practices unfairly harmed workers based on their membership in protected groups—such as race or gender—even if the company didn't intentionally mean to discriminate. **What the Court Decided** The court sided with the EEOC. The judge found that Motorola's hiring and promotion practices did, in fact, create unfair disadvantages for protected class members. The court determined that even without proof of intentional discrimination, practices that have a negative impact on certain groups are illegal under employment law. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling established an important protection: employers cannot use hiring or promotion systems that harm protected groups, regardless of intent. Companies must examine whether their practices—like test requirements or selection criteria—actually screen out certain workers unfairly. This case strengthened workplace equality by holding employers accountable not just for deliberate discrimination, but for policies with discriminatory effects.