LILLY LEDBETTER, FAIR PAY ADVOCATE, WILL BE KEYNOTE SPEAKER
AT CENTER FOR AMERICAN WOMEN AND POLITICS’
NEW LEADERSHIP NEW JERSEY SUMMER INSTITUTE FRIDAY, JUNE 5
WHO: Lilly Ledbetter, advocate for pay equity whose $3 million jury award against the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007, will be keynote speaker for
WHAT: The NEW Leadership New Jersey Summer Institute, created by the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at
WHEN: Keynote address 7 p.m. Friday, June 5
WHERE: Eagleton Institute of Politics,
BACKGROUND: After learning that her pay at Goodyear had been consistently much less than that of almost all her male co-workers for almost 20 years, Ledbetter sued and won a jury verdict of more than $3 million. In 2007, the Supreme Court overturned that award, ruling that she had waited too long to bring her claim. Although she won no monetary award, outrage at her case led to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, allowing victims of pay discrimination more time to file complaints. The bill was passed by the 111th Congress and signed by President Obama in January 2009. Ledbetter has testified multiple times before Congress and travels the country as an advocate for pay equity.
Students participating in NEW Leadership meet with women in a variety of public roles to learn about their political participation, explore ideas about leadership and politics, and actively engage in skills-building exercises.
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