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(State Farm) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District
of California.3 The class representatives alleged that State
Farm had engaged in statewide discrimination in California in the
recruiting, hiring, and training of women for sales agent trainee
positions in violation of title VII of the Civil Rights Act of
1964, 42 U.S.C. sec. 2000e et seq. (title VII). The
representatives sought backpay, as well as injunctive and
declaratory relief.
The District Court bifurcated the litigation into a
liability and a remedy phase. On April 29, 1985, the court ruled
in the liability phase that State Farm was liable under title VII
for classwide discrimination on the basis of gender. See
Kraszewski v. State Farm Gen. Ins. Co., 38 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas.
(BNA) 197 (N.D. Cal. 1985). The court found that women who
attempted to become trainee agents were "lied to, misinformed,
and discouraged in their efforts to attain the entry level sales
position." Id. at 257. The court then ruled that the class
action suit properly included "all female applicants and deterred
applicants who, at any time since July 5, 1974, have been, are,
or will be denied recruitment, selection and/or hire as trainee
agents by defendant companies within the State of California."
Id. at 258.
3 On Sept. 9, 1981, the District Court for the Northern
District of California certified a class in Kraszewski to
maintain the action. See Kraszewski v. State Farm Gen. Ins. Co.,
27 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 27 (N.D. Cal. 1981).
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