Employment Law

Employment Law

University of Phoenix

Business Law

BUS/415

Employment conflicts and other issues such as harassment and prejudice have been present in the workplace for many years. Prior to 1964 these practices were accepted by employers and employees alike. The military was no exception to the rule and chose to discriminate against individuals based on both race and sex on a regular basis. After the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 things began to change at a slow pace. According to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, job discrimination is prohibited based on the five protected classes of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin (Cheeseman, 2007). This paper will discuss issues that have been brought to public attention based on sexual discrimination and how they affect the United States Navy.

On July 2, 1964 President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in law and was reported to have said “We have lost the south for a generation” (Wikipedia, 2009). This was mainly due to the large number of senators in the south who opposed the passing of the bill. In subsequent years the bill was used to give more rights to women as well as non-English speaking students. The bill also paved the way for the 1968 Civil Rights Act, also known as the Fair Housing Act, which expanded on previous acts and prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing. As of 1974 sex was included in the Fair Housing Act. In 1988 the handicapped as well as families with children were added to protected list. Despite all the progress made by women and minorities in the past the Navy seemed to remain untouched by the legislation passed.

In the days of merchant ships and sails a common myth existed that women on a ship were bad luck. The Navy, being built around long standing traditions upheld this rule for many years. In 1994 the U.S. Navy chose to make a change to its long standing policy of not allowing women to be stationed...