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Ann Hopkins/Price Waterhouse Sex Discrimation Case Analysis Essay

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Facts:

In 1978, Ann Hopkins began working for Price Waterhouse. Price Waterhouse policy prohibited hiring anyone who was married to a partner or had a close relationship with a partner in a national accounting firm. Hopkins husband was a partner at Touche Ross. Nevertheless, Price Waterhouse honored their offer and hired Hopkins anyway.

Ann Hopkins was a senior manager at Price Waterhouse in the firm's Office of Government Services (OGS) in 1982 when she was nominated for partnership. OGS' nominating proposal praised Hopkins "outstanding performance" and said it was "virtually at partnership level." It underlined Hopkins "key role" in connection with a large State Department project. No other 1982 candidate's record for securing …show more content…

Price Waterhouse offered partnerships to 47 of them, rejected 21, and placed 20, including Hopkins, on hold. The admissions committee recommended that she be given more work with partners and undertake a quality control review in order to demonstrate her skills and put to rest concerns about her.

In 1983, one of Hopkins original supporters at OGS said he opposed her recommendation and a second OGS partner agreed and joined him. Hopkins was told it was unlikely that she would ever become a partner at Price Waterhouse. At this point Hopkins had four choices. (1) She could leave Price Waterhouse. (2) She could join the international area with a small chance of being proposed for partnership the following year. (3) She could continue working for the firm as a career manager, with no chance of making partner. (4) She could leave Price Waterhouse and file a lawsuit charging the firm with sex discrimination.

Critical Legal Issues:

Did Price Waterhouse discriminate against Hopkins on the basis of sex in its decisions regarding partnership?

Legal Rules:

Title VII section 703 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (amended in 1973 and 1991) outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Originally conceived to protect the rights of black men, the bill was amended prior to passage to protect the civil rights of all men and women. The Act transformed American

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