October Term 2007 · Docket 06-1221
Can a worker use evidence of other supervisors' bias to prove their own supervisor's discrimination?
Sprint argues that evidence of other supervisors' bias is irrelevant to a specific worker's claim. The worker argues this evidence helps prove their own supervisor acted unfairly.
Verified source milestones
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
The arguments, in order
This case may have been argued more than once. Each entry below uses that session's official transcript. Later arguments do not erase earlier ones.
Argument 1 ·
What happened at the argument
Sprint's lawyer argued that the decision-maker's actions are the only relevant facts for the case.
Mendelsohn's lawyer argued that evidence of other supervisors' bias can sometimes help prove the specific claim.
Justice Kennedy questioned whether the lower court's short order truly banned all pattern evidence.
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 23-33 — Transcript, file page 22, lines 23-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-41 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 43-7 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 43-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 29-21 — Transcript, file page 33, lines 29-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 17-25 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 17-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 15-21 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 15-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 37-39 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 37-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 45-5 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 45-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 11-13 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 11-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 19-19 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 19-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 27-41 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 27-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 29-41 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 29-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 43-51 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 43-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 15-17 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 15-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 3-11 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 3-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 31-37 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 31-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 5-21 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 5-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 63, lines 9-11 — Transcript, file page 63, lines 9-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 33-37 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 33-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 43-51 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 43-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 5-19 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 5-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 5-5 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 5-5
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
This case tests how courts handle evidence of bias by other managers. The dispute centers on whether a worker can show their own supervisor acted unfairly by pointing to similar actions by different managers.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 23-33 — Transcript, file page 22, lines 23-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-41 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 29-21 — Transcript, file page 33, lines 29-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 43-51 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 43-51
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on December 3, 2007.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 29-41 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 29-41
What each side wants
Sprint wants the Court to confirm that evidence of other supervisors' bias is generally irrelevant to a specific worker's claim.
Mendelsohn wants the Court to allow evidence of other supervisors' bias to help prove their own supervisor acted unfairly.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 23-33 — Transcript, file page 22, lines 23-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-41 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 29-21 — Transcript, file page 33, lines 29-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 43-51 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 43-51
What each side says
Sprint argues that an employment decision is made by the specific person who made it, so other managers' actions do not matter.
Mendelsohn argues that evidence of discrimination by other supervisors is sometimes admissible to help prove discrimination by the plaintiff's own supervisor.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 23-33 — Transcript, file page 22, lines 23-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-41 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 29-21 — Transcript, file page 33, lines 29-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 43-51 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 43-51
What the justices asked
Justice Souter asked if a connection exists between the other supervisors' actions and the specific claim.
Justice Scalia asked whether the district court explained its order based on specific evidence rules or general discretion.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 43-7 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 43-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 17-25 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 17-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 15-21 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 15-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 37-39 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 37-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 45-5 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 45-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 11-13 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 11-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 19-19 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 19-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 27-41 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 27-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 29-41 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 29-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 15-17 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 15-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 3-11 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 3-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 31-37 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 31-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 5-21 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 5-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 63, lines 9-11 — Transcript, file page 63, lines 9-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 33-37 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 33-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 43-51 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 43-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 5-19 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 5-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 5-5 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 5-5
Why it matters
This case defines how workers prove bias in individual employment disputes. It clarifies whether evidence of company-wide patterns helps or hinders a single worker's legal claim.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 23-33 — Transcript, file page 22, lines 23-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-41 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 29-21 — Transcript, file page 33, lines 29-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 43-51 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 43-51
What happens next
This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 43-7 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 43-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 17-25 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 17-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 15-21 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 15-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 37-39 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 37-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 45-5 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 45-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 11-13 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 11-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 19-19 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 19-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 27-41 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 27-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 29-41 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 29-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 15-17 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 15-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 3-11 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 3-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 31-37 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 31-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 5-21 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 5-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 63, lines 9-11 — Transcript, file page 63, lines 9-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 33-37 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 33-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 43-51 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 43-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 5-19 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 5-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 5-5 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 5-5
Official Court provenance
Official docket and case history · Official Supreme Court oral-argument detail page
Title and summary sources
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 23-33 — Transcript, file page 22, lines 23-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-41 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 29-21 — Transcript, file page 33, lines 29-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 43-51 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 43-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 23-33 — Transcript, file page 22, lines 23-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-41 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 29-21 — Transcript, file page 33, lines 29-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 43-51 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 43-51
Revision history
- Revision 1 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.
- Revision 2 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.