Case B 2
Citation: Garcia v. Spun-Steak, 512 U.S. 1228 (1994) FACTS
Parties: Plaintiffs – Priscilla Garcia and Maricela Buitrago Defendant – Spun Steak Company
Spun Steak Company is a California corporation that produces poultry and meat products. Spun Steak employs thirty-three workers, twenty-four of whom are Spanish-speaking. Garcia and Buitrago are fully bilingual production line workers.
Spun Steak employees spoke Spanish freely to their co-workers during work hours. Spun Steak received complaints that Garcia and Buitrago made derogatory, racist comments in Spanish about two co-workers.
The president of Spun Steak concluded that an English-only rule would promote racial harmony in the workplace and would enhance worker safety because some employees claimed that it distracted them, it would also add to product quality because the U.S.D.A. spoke only English and could not understand if product-related concerns were raised in Spanish.
This rule complied that only English was to be spoken in connection with work. During breaks the employees were free to speak Spanish. Spun Steak adopted a rule forbidding offensive, racial, sexual or personal remarks of any kind. The plaintiffs spoke Spanish regardless of the rule and were not permitted to work next to each other.
Both employees and the Union representing them filed charges of discrimination. The EEOC determined that there was reasonable cause of discrimination; violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The case ended up in the federal district court. The court granted motion for summary judgment. ISSUE: Does this rule violate Title VII? DECISION: No. The court reversed and remanded their decision. REASONING: The court did not find that there was any disparate impact because there is no requirement to comply with the policy when employees choose to speak. If employees substitute Spanish words in place of an English one, this would not be a problem that would commit a violation
Parties: Plaintiffs – Priscilla Garcia and Maricela Buitrago Defendant – Spun Steak Company
Spun Steak Company is a California corporation that produces poultry and meat products. Spun Steak employs thirty-three workers, twenty-four of whom are Spanish-speaking. Garcia and Buitrago are fully bilingual production line workers.
Spun Steak employees spoke Spanish freely to their co-workers during work hours. Spun Steak received complaints that Garcia and Buitrago made derogatory, racist comments in Spanish about two co-workers.
The president of Spun Steak concluded that an English-only rule would promote racial harmony in the workplace and would enhance worker safety because some employees claimed that it distracted them, it would also add to product quality because the U.S.D.A. spoke only English and could not understand if product-related concerns were raised in Spanish.
This rule complied that only English was to be spoken in connection with work. During breaks the employees were free to speak Spanish. Spun Steak adopted a rule forbidding offensive, racial, sexual or personal remarks of any kind. The plaintiffs spoke Spanish regardless of the rule and were not permitted to work next to each other.
Both employees and the Union representing them filed charges of discrimination. The EEOC determined that there was reasonable cause of discrimination; violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The case ended up in the federal district court. The court granted motion for summary judgment. ISSUE: Does this rule violate Title VII? DECISION: No. The court reversed and remanded their decision. REASONING: The court did not find that there was any disparate impact because there is no requirement to comply with the policy when employees choose to speak. If employees substitute Spanish words in place of an English one, this would not be a problem that would commit a violation