Albemarle Paper Company v. Moody Leads to Awarding of Back Pay

Press Release
June 25, 1975

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Albemarle Paper Company v. Moody Leads to Awarding of Back Pay preview

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  • Press Releases, Volume 6. Albemarle Paper Company v. Moody Leads to Awarding of Back Pay, 1975. a2071f1a-bb92-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/9a80b9cf-85a4-4e8c-86cb-c204779f6053/albemarle-paper-company-v-moody-leads-to-awarding-of-back-pay. Accessed November 07, 2025.

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P Legal e and Educational Fund, Inc. 

10 Columbus Circle 
york, New York 10019 

Contact: Barry Goldstein 

Telephone: 212 586-8397 

‘OR IMMEDIATE RE: 

New York, N.Y. June 25 - The U. S. Supreme Court today ruled that 

blacks who suffer lost wages as a result of employment discri ation should 

y recover those wages in the form of “back pay." The Court also 

rich restrict xculed that employment tests w e opportunities of blacks and 

hich are not "job related" according to established professional standards 

unlawful. 

This important decision arose out of a lawsuit involving the 

Albemarle Paper Company and Local 425, United Papermakers and Paperworkers. 

Brought in 1966 by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc 

Albem rle Paper Company v. Moody concerns the application of Title VII of the 

Civil Rights Act of 1964, the federal law designed to end discrimination in 

employment. Julius Chambers, a North Carolina attorney, now President of 

the Fund, argued the case before the Supreme Court. 

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals had held that the defendants 

had discriminated and ordered that back pay be awarded to the class of black 

workers and that discr natory testing practices be halted. Although the 

Supreme Court also determined that the defendants discriminated and that a 

xr ed was required, the Court articulated the standards for awarding relief 

differently from the Fourth Circuit. The Supreme Court made clear that the 



courts will order full relief, including monetary awards, for all the 

consequences of racial discrimination. 

Jack Greenberg, the Director-Counsel of the Legal Defense Fund, 

stated that "The decision is of tremendous practical importance, since 

companies and unions now know that if they continue to discriminate they 

will be liable for substantial back pay awards. This fact should cause 

many companies and unions to cease discriminating and to take effective 

measures to provide equal employment opportunity." 

NOTE TO EDITOR: The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund 

is a completely separate organization, even though originally established by 

the NAACP in 1939. The correct designation is NAACP Legal Defense and Educa- 

tional Fund, Inc., frequently shortened to Legal Defense Fund. The organiza- 

tion has a national staff and headquarters in New York City, and works with 

400 cooperating attorneys throughout the country.

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