Charged With Sexual Discrimination
In 1974, Passman dismissed a female employee from his office, Shirley Davis, because he preferred a man to hold her position. Davis sued Passman and won a judgment, affirmed by the Supreme Court in 1979 (Davis v. Passman), which held that Passman's action constituted sexual discrimination. The case remains an important precedent in holding that there is an implied right of action against U.S. congressmen for such discrimination. As such, it recognized a citizen's right to bring a suit against elected federal representatives for violation of constitutional rights.
Read more about this topic: Otto Passman
Famous quotes containing the words charged with and/or charged:
“I am trembling:
I am suddenly charged with their language, these six strings,
Suddenly made to see they can declare
Nothing but harmony, and may not move
Without a happy stirring of the air
That builds within this room a second room....”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)
“Luna presence,
foredoomed, already dying,
it charged the room
with plangency
older than human
cries,”
—Robert Earl Hayden (1913–1980)