Real Story of Hiring Discrimination

In 1975, Bessemer City hired a 24-year-old recent college graduate, Donnie Kincaid, as its new Recreation Director. Ten years later, the Supreme Court ruled that Phyllis Anderson, one of the other applicants, was denied the job because she was a woman.

At the time of the interviews, Phyllis was a 39-year-old teacher with degrees in Social Studies and Education. The only woman who applied for the position, she was asked questions about how her husband felt about her taking this job. Donnie Kincaid and the other male applicants were not asked if their wives wanted them to take the position. The hiring committee, made up of four men and one woman, all verified this in later court proceedings. One of the men even testified that he "wouldn't want his wife doing this job" and that it would be "real hard" for a woman to handle it. The final vote of the hiring committee was even divided on gender lines, with the female member voting to hire Phyllis Anderson and the men choosing Kincaid.

The EEOC investigated for 5 years before deciding Ms. Anderson had enough evidence to prove discrimination under Title VII. The district court ruled in favor of Phyllis because of the gender biases expressed by the male committee members and Phyllis' superior credentials. In 1983 the Appeals court overruled, saying that Kincaid's degree in Physical Education provided enough qualifications. The Supreme Court eventually decided that Phyllis had, in fact, been discriminated against, and reinstated the District Court's ruling. Luckily, that court held that her damages included attorney's fees.

Anderson v City of Bessemer City, N.C. 470 US 564 (1985)