The State - News from Oct. 18, 1988

A federal judge in San Francisco considering what may be the largest sex-discrimination suit in the nation’s history has issued a ruling that could cost the state billions of dollars. U.S. District Judge Marilyn Patel refused a motion to decertify, meaning that if the California State Employees Assn. wins its case, the estimated 100,000 women involved will be entitled to back pay. “That could run into the billions of dollars,” Deputy Atty. Gen. Richard Tullis said. In the case, the employees association claims that the state purposely pays women less than men in jobs requiring similar skills. “We have evidence the state purposely intended to discriminate against women as far back as 1931,” association attorney Mel Dayley said. In 1985, the U.S. Court of Appeals rejected the comparable-worth argument and overturned a court award of $400 million in back pay to female state employees in Washington. Patel refused to take similar action in the California case, saying it does not apply.