LILLY LEDBETTER TO SPEAK AT OU ON HER CASE FOR EQUAL PAY FOR WOMEN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Caitlin Campbell, Program Coordinator
The WGS Center for Social Justice
405-325-5787
Center.for.Social.Justice@ou.edu

NORMAN - Lilly Ledbetter, the inspiration for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, will present a free, public lecture at the University of Oklahoma at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 8, in the Gaylord Hall Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation Auditorium in Gaylord Hall, 395 W. Lindsey St., Norman.

Ledbetter served as a manager at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Plant in Gadsden, Ala., for nearly 20 years. Despite receiving the top performance award, she consistently received less pay than virtually all of her male co-workers. She sued and won a jury verdict of $3million, which was overturned in a landmark Supreme Court case. In response, a campaign was started to pass a law that ensures that other victims of pay discrimination have more than 180 days after their first discriminatory paycheck to file a complaint. While she herself has seen no monetary awards, Ledbetter was honored to see that Congress passed and President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law on Jan. 29, 2009.

For more information about the presentation, visit the Center for Social Justice website at csj.ou.edu or call (405) 325-5787. Established in 2009, the Center for Social Justice is an initiative of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program of the OU College of Arts and Sciences. Its goals are to promote gender justice, equality, tolerance, and human rights through local and global engagement.

Ledbetter’s visit is co-sponsored by the Friends Of the College Of Arts and Sciences; Barbara B. and William G. Paul EnrichmentFund; James H. and Joann H. Holden Enrichment Fund; the Women’s and Gender Studies Program and Women’s Outreach Center.

For accommodations on the basis of disability, contact the Center for Social Justice at (405) 325-5787.
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