Case 1:20-cv-10015-DJC Document 29 Filed 07/08/20 Page 1 of 78 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS EQUAL MEANS EQUAL, THE YELLOW ROSES, KATHERINE WEITBRECHT, Plaintiffs, v. Civil Action No. 20-cv-10015-DJC DAVID S. FERRIERO, in his official Capacity as Archivist of the United States, Defendant. ______________________________________________________________________ AMICUS CURIAE BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFFS The United States Conference of Mayors Equal Means ERA 38 Agree for Georgia LARatifyERA Jodi Siegel* Kristine L. Roberts Chelsea Dunn* Mass. BBO No. 651491 *Pro Hac Vice forthcoming SOUTHERN LEGAL COUNSEL, INC. BAKER, DONELSON, 1229 NW 12th Avenue BEARMAN, CALDWELL & Gainesville, FL 32601 BERKOWITZ, P.C. (305) 271-8890 165 Madison Avenue [email protected] First Tennessee Building [email protected] Suite 2000 Washington, D.C. 20001 (901) 526-2000 [email protected] Counsel for Amici Curiae Case 1:20-cv-10015-DJC Document 29 Filed 07/08/20 Page 2 of 78 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTERESTS OF THE AMICI ........................................................................................... 1 ARGUMENT .................................................................................................................... 3 I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 3 II. WITH THE RATIFICATION OF THE ERA, THE U.S. JOINS OTHER NATIONS IN GUARANTEEING EQUALITY FOR WOMEN ..................... 3 III. SEX DISCRIMINATION MAY BE SUBJECT TO “STRICT SCRUTINY” BY THE COURTS ...................................................................................... 7 IV. THE ERA PROVIDES A CONSTITUTIONAL BASIS FOR FEDERAL LEGISLATION GUARANTEEING CLAIMS OF SEX DISCRIMINATION OR GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE ............................................................. 9 A. Current law fails to allow victims of sex discrimination and gender- based violence to hold their abusers accountable........................... 9 B. The ERA is a necessary tool to eradicate workplace discrimination ................................................................................ 13 i. Current laws protecting women from wage discrimination are not effective .................................................................. 14 ii. The Equal Pay Act stops short ........................................... 17 iii. Current law does not provide adequate accommodations for pregnant women ........................................................... 18 iv. The ERA will provide uniform, lasting protections from sex-based discrimination across the county ....................... 21 V. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................... 24 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE ........................................................................................ 24 APPENDIX A ................................................................................................................. 25 ii Case 1:20-cv-10015-DJC Document 29 Filed 07/08/20 Page 3 of 78 TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Page(s) CASES Craig v. Boren, 429 U.S. 190 (1976) ............................................................................... 8 Fisher v. Univ. of Tex. at Austin, 570 U.S. 297 (2013) .................................................... 8 Frontiero v. Richardson, 411 U.S. 677 (1973) ................................................................. 9 Irby v. Bittick, 44 F.3d 949, 955 (11th Cir. 1995) ........................................................... 22 J.E.B. v. Ala., 511 U. S. 127 (1994)................................................................................. 8 Kouba v. Allstate, 691 F.2d 873 (9th Cir. 1982) ............................................................ 18 Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. 137 (1803) ........................................................................... 9 Michael M. v. Sup. Ct. of Sonoma City, 450 U.S. 464 (1981) .......................................... 8 Miss. Univ. for Women v. Hogan, 458 U.S. 718 (1982) ................................................... 8 Nguyen v. Immigration & Naturalization Servs., 533 U.S. 53 (2001) ............................. 21 Perkins v. Rock-Tenn Servs., Inc., 700 F. App’x 452 (6th Cir. 2017) ............................ 22 Reed v. Reed, 404 U.S. 71 (1971) .................................................................................. 7 Riser v. QEP Energy, 776 F.3d 1191 (10th Cir. 2015) .................................................. 22 Rizo v. Yovino, 950 F.3d 1217, 1222 (9th Cir. 2020) .................................. 17, 18, 22, 23 Roubideaux v. N.D. Dep’t of Corr. & Rehab., 570 F.3d 966 (8th Cir. 2009) .................... 9 Rostker v. Goldberg, 453 U.S. 57 (1981) ........................................................................ 8 Rowitz v. McClain, 138 N.E.3d 1241 (Ohio App. 10th Dist. 2019) ................................. 24 Tagami v. City of Chicago, 875 F.3d 375 (7th Cir. 2017), as amended (Dec. 11, 2017) .......................................................................................................................... 8 Taylor v. White, 321 F.3d 710 (8th Cir. 2003) ......................................................... 17, 22 Town of Castle Rock v. Gonzales, 545 U.S. 748 (2005) ............................................... 12 United States v. Morrison, 529 U.S. 598 (2000) ............................................ 9, 10, 11, 12 United States v. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515 (1996) ............................................................ 8, 9 iii Case 1:20-cv-10015-DJC Document 29 Filed 07/08/20 Page 4 of 78 Wal-Mart Stores v. Dukes, 564 U.S. 338 (2011) ........................................................... 16 Wernsing v. Dep’t of Human Servs., State of Ill., 427 F.3d 466 (7th Cir. 2005) . 17, 18, 22 Young v. United Parcel Service, Inc., 575 U.S. 206 (2015) ........................................... 19 STATUTES 29 U.S.C. § 206(d) ........................................................................................................ 14 34 U.S.C. § 12291 ......................................................................................................... 11 42 U.S.C. § 13981 ......................................................................................................... 10 42 U.S.C. § 2000e(k) ..................................................................................................... 19 42 U.S.C. § § 2000e ..................................................................................................... 14 Cal. Lab. Code § 432.3(b) (2019) .................................................................................. 23 Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-40z(b)(5) (2019)......................................................................... 23 Del. Code Ann. tit. 19, § 709B (2017)............................................................................ 23 Haw. Rev. Stat. § 378-2.3 (2019) .................................................................................. 23 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, Pub. L. No. 111-2, 123 Stat. 5 (2009) .................. 14 Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149 § 105A ................................................................................. 23 Md. Const. Decl. of Rts. art. 46 ..................................................................................... 21 Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5 § 4577 (2019) ............................................................................... 23 N.J. Stat. Ann. § 34:6B-20 (2020) ................................................................................. 23 N.Y. Lab. Law § 194-a (2020) ....................................................................................... 23 Or. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 659A.357 (2017) .......................................................................... 23 Pub. L. No. 111-2, 123 Stat. 5 (2009)............................................................................ 14 Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 21, § 495m (2018) .............................................................................. 23 CONSTITUTIONS Alaska Const. art I, § 3 .................................................................................................. 21 Cal. Const. art. I, §§ 8, 31(a) ......................................................................................... 21 iv Case 1:20-cv-10015-DJC Document 29 Filed 07/08/20 Page 5 of 78 Colo. Const. art. II, § 29 ................................................................................................ 21 Conn. Const. art. I, § 20 ................................................................................................ 21 Const. of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, 1972 rev. 2016, Ch. V, Art. 77 (North Korea) ............................................................................................................. 7 Const. of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, 2004, Ch. II, Art. 22. ............................... 5 Del. Const. art. I, §21 .................................................................................................... 21 Fla. Const. art. I, § 2 ...................................................................................................... 21 Haw. Const. art. I, § 3 .................................................................................................... 21 Ill. Const. art. I, § 18 ...................................................................................................... 21 Iowa Const. art. I, §