Opinion ID: 317025
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: High School Diploma Requirement

Text: 13 The district court found that Goodyear's high school diploma requirement began in 1957 for hiring or interdepartmental transfers discriminated against those black employees hired before July 2, 1965 and placed into the labor department. The discriminatory impact of this educational prerequisite on black employees hired into the labor department before 1957 is obvious. 7 The educational qualification had the effect of locking in those labor department employees who wished to transfer but could not because they did not possess a high school diploma. More important, no undertaking was made by Goodyear to eliminate or require further education of those white employees hired into other departments before 1957, who had not obtained a high school diploma. It was not until 1968 that Goodyear removed the educational impediment to transfers by those labor department employees hired before 1957. Thus, the discriminatory effect of the high school diploma criterion continued unabated until 1968 for pre-1957 labor department employees. 14 Furthermore, we believe that the district court was correct in concluding that the high school diploma requirement had a discriminatory consequence on labor department employees hired after 1957. The overwhelming evidence demonstrates that until April 22, 1971, when the education requirement was eliminated by Goodyear, the imposition of the diploma qualification had an ascertainable discriminatory impact on prospective black employees and potential labor department transferors. In 1960, only 39.9% Of Texas blacks possessed a high school education as compared with 66.9% Of Texas whites. 8 This significant disparity was present in the Houston area where 25.3% Of the black population held a high school diploma as compared to 45.8% Of the whites. 9 The 1970 statistics reveal that although the education gap was closing, it had not been dissipated. 10 15 Goodyear maintains that the lower court improperly utilized the statistics out that Johnson's 1960 statistical points out that Johnson's 1960 statistical data relates to the disparity between the education attainment of blacks and whites of all ages. In contrast, Goodyear prefers to limit the scope of its statistics to the age group '16-24' and those blacks living in the immediate Houston area. Goodyear's geographic and age limitations conveniently ignore the recognized mobility of today's black labor force and the obvious fact that the potential labor pool cannot be limited to one particular age group. 11 A 'young' black individual, whether age 25 or 45, is a potential employee in the Goodyear plant. Moreover, a black individual of rural Texas today, may be an active participant in the Houston labor pool tomorrow. 16 Goodyear's limited and selective interpretation of the 'relevant' statistics overlooks previous judicial precedent. In Griggs v. Duke Power Company, 12 the Supreme Court relied on statistics for the entire state of North Carolina. 13 Even more compelling, in United States v. Georgia Power Company, 14 our court considered statistics for the South as a whole and the immediate Atlanta area. 15 The utilization of these statistics implicitly recognizes the mobility of today's labor force and repudiates any limitations on the ages of potential employees. 17 Goodyear has never attempted to validate its high school diploma criterion. 16 Once it has been established that a diploma barrier has an adverse consequence on potential black employees, the failure of the employer to validate his educational prerequisite, compels the conclusion that it is invalid. 17 In sum, the invalidated diploma requirement adversely affected potential black hirees until its termination on April 22, 1971. Additionally, it had the invidious effect of unduly limiting those black employees hired into the labor department without a high school diploma who subsequently wished to transfer to other sections in Goodyear's plant. The district court properly enjoined its further application until such time as Goodyear could validate its continued imposition.