LDF Wins Employment Bias Suit

    AA 
a4 ee 

President 

Hon. Francis E. Rivers 
L. ie PRESS RELEASE Director Counsel egal efense lund Jack Greenberg 

Director, Public Relations NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC, Tens DeVore Te 10 Columbus Circle, New York, N.Y. 10019 « JUdson 6-8397 NIGHT NUMBER 212-749-8487 
June 5, 1969 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

LDF WINS EMPLOYMENT BIAS SUIT 

Negro To Get Job and Back Pay 

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA--A federal court this week, ruling on an 
employment discrimination suit brought by the NAACP Legal Defense 
and Educational Fund, Inc. said that an Alabama Negro factory 
worker is entitled to have his old job back and nearly two years 
back pay. 

Peter J. Wrenn was fired from his job at the American Cast Iron 
Pipe Company in September 1967, shortly after his employer learned 
he had complained to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 
about job discrimination practiced by the company against Negroes. 

Company officials contended that Mr. Wrenn, an employee for 
over 20 years, was fired because he made “libelous, false and 
malicious accusations against officials and the company." 

But the court's findings, however, were that Mr. Wrenn had been 
discharged because he filed his complaint with EEOC and that this 
was in violation of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. 

The court therefore ruled that Mr. Wrenn must be reinstated 
in his job and given other appropriate relief, including back pay. 

A unique facet of American Cast Iron Pipe Company is that its 
original owner willed the facility to the white employees. The 
stock. is controlled by the company's Board of Management and 
Board of Operatives, both of which are open only to white males. 

Mr. Wrenn headed an Auxiliary Board comprised of the 790 Negro 
employees. Without any meaningful voice in matters of management, 
this board exists, according to LDF, solely for the purpose of 
telling the white board members what the Negro employees" views 
are. 

Mr. Wrenn's lawyer, LDF attorney Robert Belton, said this case 
is important because it does much in assuring Negroes, as well as 
others who face employment discrimination, that they can complain 
to EEOC without being subject to disciplinary action from accused 
employers. 

30+ 

NOTE: Please bear in mind that the LDF is a completely separate 
and distinct organization even though we were established 
by the NAACP and those initials are retained in our name. 
Our correct designation is NAACP Legal Defense and Educationa? 
Fund, Inc., frequently shortened to LDF.