Discrimination Suit Filed Against the U.S. Civil Service Commission and National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Memorandum from Lani Guinier to Ralph Neas preview

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Collection
- Legal Department General
Creator
- Lani Guinier and others
Taxonomy
Identifier
- 9c843883-e792-ee11-be37-6045bdeb8873

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Press Releases, Volume 6. Discrimination Suit Filed Against the U.S. Civil Service Commission and National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1974. 07c5effb-ba92-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/de9277d7-f964-4feb-b9df-5b467192d08c/discrimination-suit-filed-against-the-us-civil-service-commission-and-national-aeronautics-and-space-administration. Accessed August 19, 2025.

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NEW YORK, NOV. 20 -- NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND 

LAWYERS SAID THEY FILED SUIT TODAY AGAINST THE U.S. CIVIL SERVICE 

COMMISSION AND THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION, 

CHARGING RACE AND SEX DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT. THE SUIT WAS 

FILED IN THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 

THE ACTION, INITIATED BY TWO EMPLOYEES OF THE NASA JOHNSON 

SPACE“ CENTER IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, SEEKS BACK PAY AND OTHER REDRESS 

FOR THE“ NAMED PLAINTIFFS, AS WELL AS INJUNCTIVE RELIEF AGAINST THE 

CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION AND NASA ON BEHALF OF ALL BLACKS AND WOMEN 

EMPLOYED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE SPACE CENTER. 

THE SUIT REPRESENTS THE FIRST INSTANCE IN WHICH NASA HAS BEEN 

CONFRONTED BY A COMPREHENSIVE LAW SUIT INVOLVING RACE AND SEX 

DISCRIMINATION. IT IS ALSO THE FIRST INSTANCE IN WHICH A COURT HAS 

BEEN ASKED TO ISSUE AN ORDER REQUIRING THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION 

TO PROCESS AND CONSIDER CLAIMS OF CLASS DISCRIMINATION. AT PRESENT, 

THE COMMISSION WILL ONLY PROCESS CHARGES OF DISCRIMINATION ON AN 

INDIVIDUAL BASIS. 

AT ISSUE ARE CHARGES THAT CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS AND SCREENING 

DEVICES ARE NOT JOB RELATED AND HAVE A DISCRIMINATORY IMPACT; 

BLACKS AND WOMEN ARE RESTRICTED AT THE NASA INSTALLATION TO LOW-PaAID, 

MENIAL_TASKS; THAT MERIT PROMOTION PLANS PERMIT A WIDE LATITUDE 

OF JUDGMENT, LEAVING OFFICIALS FREE TO PLACE OR KEEP BLACKS 

AND WOMEN IN DEAD-END JOBS. 

COMMENTING ON THE PROBLEMS RAISED BY THE LAW SUIT, THE LEGAL 

DEFENSE FUND °S DIRECTOR-COUNSEL, JACK GREENBERG, NOTED -- “THE 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MUST BE TREATED IN ALL MATERIAL RESPECTS LIKE A 

PRIVATE EMPLOYER. DISCRIMINATORY EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES ARE NO LESS 

/FROM PR NEWSWIRE--NYC 212-352-9400/LA 213-626-5501/MIA 305-576-5020/ 

34g 



THE COMMISSION WILL. ONLY PROCESS CHARGES OF DISCRIMINATION ON AN 

INDIVIDUAL BASIS. 

AT ISSUE ARE CHARGES THAT CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS AND SCREENING 

DEVICES ARE NOT JOB RELATED“AND HAVE A DISCRIMINATORY IMPACT$ THAT 

BLACKS AND WOMEN ARE RESTRICTED AT THE NASA INSTALLATION TO LOW-PAID, 

MENIAL TASKS: THAT MERIT PROMOTION PLANS PERMIT A WIDE LATITUDE 

OF JUDGMENT, LEAVING OFFICIALS FREE TO PLACE OR KEEP BLACKS 

AND WOMEN IN DEAD-END JOBS. 

COMMENTING ON THE PROBLEMS RAISED BY THE LAW SUIT, THE LEGAL 

DEFENSE: FUND 'S DIRECTOR-COUNSEL, JACK GREENBERG, NOTED -- “THE 

FEDERAL G OVER NENT MUST “BE TREATED IN@ALL MATERIAL RESPECTS LIKE A 

PRIVATE EMPLOYER © DISCRIMINATORY EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES ARE NO LESS 

TOLERABLE IN GOVERNMENT AGENCIES THAN THEY ARE IN THE PRIVATE 

SECTOR.” THE NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER HAS 3,717 EMPLOYEES OF WHICH 

137 ARE BLACK AND 742 ARE WOMEN - INCLUDING 53 BLACK WOMEN. THE 

NAMED PLAINTIFFS ARE SYLVESTER BARRETT, AND GLORIA WILLIAMS. 

=O= 

/NOTE -- THE NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND 1S A COMPLETELY 

SEPARATE ORGANIZATION, EVEN THOUGH ESTABLISHED BY THE NAACP. THE 

CORRECT DESIGNATION IS NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, 

INCeg,, FREQUENTLY SHORTEWED TO LEGAL DEFENSE FUND. 

/CONTACT -- NORMAN BLOOMFIELD OF NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND 

EDUCATIONAL FUND AT 212-586-8397/ 

-90-

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Memorandum from Lani Guinier to Ralph Neas

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