Home > Great American Court Cases > Wards Cove Packing v. Atonio

Legal Citation: 490 U.S. 642 (1989)

Petitioner
Wards Cove Packing Company, Inc., et al.

Respondent
Frank Atonio, et al.

Petitioner's Claim
That an earlier court judgment showing discrimination though "disparate impact" was incorrect.

Chief Lawyer for Petitioner
Douglas M. Fryer

Chief Lawyer for Respondent
Abraham A. Arditi

Justices for the Court
Anthony M. Kennedy, Sandra Day O'Connor, William H. Rehnquist, Antonin Scalia, Byron R. White (writing for the Court)

Justices Dissenting
Harry A. Blackmun, William J. Brennan, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, John Paul Stevens

Place
Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision
5 June 1989

Decision
A racially segregated workforce does not show discrimination on the part of the employer if that workforce is a reflection of the pool...