Oatis v. Crown Zellerbach Corp.
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
398 F.2d 496 (1968)

- Written by Darius Dehghan, JD
Facts
Anthony Hill, a Black man, was an employee at Crown Zellerbach Corporation (Crown) (defendant). Hill filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In his EEOC complaint, Hill raised several issues, including the racially segregated locker rooms at Crown’s facilities. John Martin Oatis, David Johnson, and R. T. Young (plaintiffs) were Black men employed by Crown. Hill, along with Oatis, Johnson, and Young, filed a class-action suit in federal court, alleging that Crown violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). Yet Oatis, Johnson, and Young had not filed complaints with the EEOC. The district court found that Oatis, Johnson, and Young were not permitted to join the class action. Oatis, Johnson, and Young appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Bell, J.)
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