International Union v. Johnson Controls, Inc., 24 February 1988
Annual Review of Population Law 15: 173
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0364-3417 PMID: 12289313 Document Number: 383733
The plaintiffs, female employees of the defendant, brought a Title VII civil rights action, charging the defendant with discrimination in its fetal protection policy. The policy prohibits women who are capable of bearing children from working in jobs where there is a likelihood that their blood levels will rise above thirty micrograms of lead. The US Federal Court ruled that the policy does not violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It held that lead poses substantial risks to fetuses and that no acceptable alternative was established that would have a lesser impact on female employees.