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Discrimination
Court Cases Over the Years
Freedom from Sex Discrimination
Discrimination on the basis of gender has been all-too-common in Rhode Island in a variety of settings -- in school, on the baseball field, and even in the courthouse. The R.I. ACLU has played an important role in eliminating many vestiges of sex discrimination, as the sample cases below demonstrate:
1975: Fortin v. Darlington Little League
Favorable appeals court decision finding unconstitutional a Little League rule which barred girls from playing in the League.
1977: In re: Johnston School Athletic Program
Favorably-settled Title IX complaint alleging that the school provided unequal athletic opportunity and facilities for girls.
1979: Traugott v. Petit
Favorable state Supreme Court decision holding that women have a common law right to use the name of their choice on their driver’s license and motor vehicle registration.
1984: Planned Parenthood v. Board of Medical Review
Successful challenge to state law requiring husbands to be notified before a woman could have an abortion.
1989: Virella v. Scott
Favorably settled federal lawsuit challenging Health Department policy denying separated married women the right to give their children the surname of their choice.
1990: In re: Lucille Riccitelli
Successful suit filed after a Probate Court judge denied a married woman the right to change her name back to her birth-name unless she got her husband’s consent.
1991: Kleczek v. R.I. Interscholastic League
Unsuccessful lawsuit challenging an Interscholastic League rule barring boys from playing field hockey.
1992: Sammataro v. Sammataro
Successful appeal on behalf of a mother who lost custody of her daughter solely for receiving welfare assistance.
1996: Cohen v. Brown University
“Friend of the court” brief filed in support of a successful challenge to Brown University’s athletic program as sex-discriminatory in violation of Title IX.
2000: Perry v. East Providence School Committee
Successfully settled sex discrimination complaint challenging the school district’s advertisement of a vacancy for a special education aide position as for men only.
2003: Rathbun v. Autozone
The ACLU is co-counsel in this appeal of a federal sex discrimination lawsuit, addressing the appropriate statute of limitations for filing suit under the R.I. Civil Rights Act.
2003: Melendez v. Town of North Smithfield
Federal lawsuit, on behalf of a female Hispanic firefighter applicant, challenging a state law giving a town a one-time exemption from the Fair Employment Practices Act in order to allow its acquisition of an all white, all male private fire and rescue service.
See Other Highlighted Discrimination Cases:
Return to: Recent Discrimination Cases
Providence, RI 02903