Filed Date: June 4, 1998
Closed Date: Feb. 27, 2008
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On June 4, 1998 a group of African Americans filed suit against Boeing Co. and several subsidiaries, their employers, alleging racial discrimination in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. Specifically, they alleged that the defendants had engaged in a pattern or practice of behavior that included policies that had a disparate impact on African-American employees and disparately treated African American employees. They also alleged that the defendant had breached its employment contract with them and had engaged in negligent misrepresentation. They sought class certification, injunctive relief, and damages.
On September 30, 1999 the district court (Judge Coughenour) certified a class of roughly 15,000 members comprising all salaried African-American employed by the defendants since June 6, 1994, and approved a consent decree reached by the parties. It provided for general injunctive relief consisting of prohibition of discrimination, monetary damages for the class of roughly $7.3 million, and attorney fees of $4.05 million.
Various class members objected to the settlement and appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. On November 26, 2002, the Ninth Circuit (Judges Berzon, Lay, and Trott) held that the consent decree was unfair and remanded the case to the district court for further proceedings.
On January 10, 2005 the district court (Judge Pechman) granted the defendants summary judgment on 42 U.S.C. § 1981 discrimination claims that had been added by the plaintiffs and were now barred by the statute of limitations. On January 21, 2005 the district court (Judge Pechman) re-certified the class and bifurcated the disparate treatment and disparate impact claims for trial. On January 17, 2006 the district court (Judge Pechman) ruled for the defendants in a bench trial regarding the disparate impact claims and on February 6, 2006 a jury found for the defendants on the disparate treatment claims.
On May 4, 2007 the district court (Judge Pechman) dismissed or transferred all remaining individual claims and entered final judgment. The case concluded on February 27, 2008 when the Ninth Circuit (Judges Beezer, Tallman, and Tashima) affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment to the plaintiffs on January 10, 2005.
Summary Authors
Michael Perry (9/29/2010)
Dean v. Boeing Company, District of Kansas (2005)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4673478/parties/williams-v-boeing-company/
Beezer, Robert R. (Washington)
Berzon, Marsha Siegel (California)
Arai, Ivy D (Washington)
Berman, Steve W. (Washington)
Bharti, Harish (Washington)
Brown, Barbara Berish (District of Columbia)
Cohen, Rebecca Shapiro (Washington)
Hamilton, Kevin J. (Washington)
Hollingsworth, Jeffrey Alan (Washington)
Korrell, Harry James Franklyn III (Washington)
Porcarelli, Robert F (Washington)
Sullivan, Elizabeth A (Washington)
Sullivan Weiss, Sheehan H (Washington)
Tarshes, David C. (Washington)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4673478/williams-v-boeing-company/
Last updated March 29, 2024, 3:08 a.m.
State / Territory: Washington
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Private Employment Class Actions
Key Dates
Filing Date: June 4, 1998
Closing Date: Feb. 27, 2008
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
African-American salaried employees of Boeing from June 6, 1994 to the present.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Granted
Defendants
Boeing Co. (Seattle, King), Private Entity/Person
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Defendant
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Issues
General/Misc.:
Discrimination Area:
Conditions of Employment (including assignment, transfer, hours, working conditions, etc.)
Harassment / Hostile Work Environment
Discrimination Basis:
Affected Race(s):