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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2002

Reversing an appeals court ruling, the Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the right of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to file discrimination lawsuits against employers even when arbitration agreements have been struck.

In a 6-3 decision, the Court said the EEOC, an independent federal agency, can pursue the suits in the face of a federal law which encourages abritration. The EEOC's authority was not hindered by the Federal Arbitration Act, said the Court.

Employee rights advocates had claimed a previous Supreme Court decision was allowing companies to force employees into mediation. Yesterday's decision was seen as tempering the effects of that 2001 ruling.

Justice John Paul Stevens authored the majority opinion. Justice Clarence Thomas authored the dissent, which was joined by Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Antonin Scalia.

The case was remanded. The merits of the discrimination claim against Waffle House, Inc., have never been discussed.

Get the Case EEOC V. WAFFLE HOUSE, INC. (99-1823):
Syllabus | Opinion | Dissent

Get the Story:
High Court Backs EEOC Suits in Bias Cases (The Washington Post 1/16)
Justices Limit Reach of Arbitration Law (The New York Times 1/16)
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Relevant Links:
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - http://www.eeoc.gov