Opinion ID: 396311
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Initial Placement

Text: 60 The employees presented several statistical studies to prove their claim that Boeing Vertol had engaged in racial discrimination in the initial placement of employees. A 1967 study, for example, revealed that the median labor grade for whites was 6, while the median grade for blacks was 5. This study, like a great deal of the employees' evidence, reflected the consequences of and events occurring before the actionable period. Labor-grade distribution studies for later periods also revealed disparities adverse to black employees, but again these studies tended to reflect disparities created or caused by events occurring before the actionable period rather than discriminatory placement occurring after March 1968. See Teamsters, 431 U.S. at 360, 97 S.Ct. at 1867. 61 The employees also presented some statistics showing disparities in initial placement occurring after 1968, which would be directly relevant to a claim of discriminatory initial placement during the actionable period. In rebuttal, however, Boeing Vertol contended that the statistical disparities could be explained by the indicated preferences of and the varying qualifications of employees being initially placed. It offered a 1971 study purporting to support this contention. The employees assert that the court found that Boeing Vertol's personnel office directed applicants to indicate certain job choices. They therefore contend that the court was precluded from relying on employee preference to explain statistical disparity. The court actually found that at least some applicants were advised by interviewers to specify certain job choices. 437 F.Supp. at 1189 (emphasis added). Although the court considered the correlation between preference and placement to be partially explained by this practice, and it also recognized that preference could not serve to explain entirely the disparities because some jobs had several classifications at different labor grades, it was not precluded from nevertheless considering the correlation to be a logical explanation for some disparities in placement. Furthermore, Boeing Vertol demonstrated problems with the way certain jobs were categorized in the employees' statistical analysis. The court therefore determined that the employees' evidence was somewhat arbitrary and was not entirely persuasive. 62 It appears that the bulk of the evidence relating to discrimination in initial placement was outside the actionable period, and that Boeing Vertol offered logical, nondiscriminatory reasons that tended to explain disparities that were shown as of March 1968. It also identified certain weaknesses in the statistics, which tended to lessen their probative value as to a claim of significant disparate impact after March 1968. We therefore cannot say that it was improper for the district court to conclude, based upon all the evidence and in light of the employees' burden of persuasion, that the employees failed to prove a pattern or practice of racial discrimination in initial placement. 63