Geduldig v. Aiello

417 U.S. 484 (1974)

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Nature of the Case

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Facts

Appellees are four women who have paid sufficient amounts into the Disability Fund to be eligible for benefits under the program. Each of the appellees became pregnant and suffered employment disability as a result of her pregnancy. Most of the disabilities were attributable to abnormal complications encountered during their pregnancies. On Appellee experienced a normal pregnancy, which was the sole cause of her disability. As part of its definition of disability, California stated: In no case shall the term 'disability' or 'disabled' include any injury or illness caused by or arising in connection with pregnancy up to the termination of such pregnancy and for a period of 28 days thereafter. The three-judge District Court held that this provision of the disability insurance program violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and therefore enjoined its continued enforcement. It held that the exclusion of pregnancy-related disabilities is not based upon a classification having a rational and substantial relationship to a legitimate state purpose.