Occidental Life Insurance Company of California v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Decided June 20, 1977. Potter Stewart delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 76-99 · 432 U.S. 355 (1977) · Cited 701 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

Decided 7–2.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America v. Hoosier Cardinal Corp. · 383 U.S. 696 (1966)
• Johnson v. Railway Express Agency, Inc. · 421 U.S. 454 (1975)
• Alexander v. Gardner-Denver Co. · 415 U.S. 36 (1974)
• Runyon v. McCrary · 427 U.S. 160 (1976)
• Board of Comm'rs of Jackson Cty. v. United States · 308 U.S. 343 (1939)
• Campbell v. Haverhill · 155 U.S. 610 (1895)
• Cope v. Anderson · 331 U.S. 461 (1947)
• McCluny v. Silliman · 28 U.S. 270 (1830)
• Holmberg v. Armbrecht · 327 U.S. 392 (1946)
• O'Sullivan v. Felix · 233 U.S. 318 (1914)
• United States v. Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway Co. · 118 U.S. 120 (1886)
• McClaine v. Rankin · 197 U.S. 154 (1905)
• Albemarle Paper Co. v. Moody · 422 U.S. 405 (1975)
• Franks v. Bowman Transportation Co. · 424 U.S. 747 (1976)
• Love v. Pullman Co. · 404 U.S. 522 (1972)
• Order of Railroad Telegraphers v. Railway Express Agency, Inc. · 321 U.S. 342 (1944)
• United States v. Summerlin · 310 U.S. 414 (1940)
• National Licorice Co. v. National Labor Relations Board · 309 U.S. 350 (1940)
• International Union of Electrical, Radio & MacHine Workers v. Robbins & Myers, Inc. · 429 U.S. 229 (1976)
• McAllister v. Magnolia Petroleum Co. · 357 U.S. 221 (1958)
• Rawlings v. Ray · 312 U.S. 96 (1941)
• National Labor Relations Board v. Fant Milling Co. · 360 U.S. 301 (1959)
• Adams v. Woods · 6 U.S. 336 (1805)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Waffle House, Inc. · 534 U.S. 279 (2002)
• Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Inc. · 550 U.S. 618 (2007)
• Heimeshoff v. Hartford Life & Accident Ins. Co. · 571 U.S. 99 (2013)
• National Railroad Passenger Corporation v. Morgan · 536 U.S. 101 (2002)
• Agency Holding Corp. v. Malley-Duff & Associates, Inc. · 483 U.S. 143 (1987)
• Mohasco Corp. v. Silver · 447 U.S. 807 (1980)
• Countyof Oneida v. Oneida Indian Nation of NY · 470 U.S. 226 (1985)
• DelCostello v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters · 462 U.S. 151 (1983)
• Board of Regents of Univ. of State of NY v. Tomanio · 446 U.S. 478 (1980)
• Lampf, Pleva, Lipkind, Prupis & Petigrow v. Gilbertson · 501 U.S. 350 (1991)
• General Telephone Co. of the Northwest, Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission · 446 U.S. 318 (1980)
• United Parcel Service, Inc. v. Mitchell · 451 U.S. 56 (1981)
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Shell Oil Co. · 466 U.S. 54 (1984)
• Wilson v. Garcia · 471 U.S. 261 (1985)
• Christiansburg Garment Co. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission · 434 U.S. 412 (1978)
• Zipes v. Trans World Airlines, Inc. · 455 U.S. 385 (1982)
• Owens v. Okure · 488 U.S. 235 (1989)
• Baldwin County Welcome Center v. Brown · 466 U.S. 147 (1984)
• Great American Federal Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Novotny · 442 U.S. 366 (1979)
• City of Los Angeles Department of Water v. Manhart · 435 U.S. 702 (1978)
• Oscar Mayer & Co. v. Evans · 441 U.S. 750 (1979)
• University of Pennsylvania v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission · 493 U.S. 182 (1990)
• Burnett v. Grattan · 468 U.S. 42 (1984)
• Reed v. United Transportation Union · 488 U.S. 319 (1989)
• North Star Steel Co. v. Thomas · 515 U.S. 29 (1995)
• South Carolina v. Catawba Indian Tribe, Inc. · 476 U.S. 498 (1986)
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Associated Dry Goods Corp. · 449 U.S. 590 (1981)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).