Lively Campaigner for Equal Pay Rights and Former Litigant in Discrimination Case Against Goodyear, Lilly Ledbetter, Passes Away at 86
In the 1990s, following 19 years of service at Goodyear, Ledbetter discovered she was consistently earning less than her male counterparts, who held managerial positions.
Ledbetter initiated a lawsuit against Goodyear in 1999, alleging gender discrimination. She initially emerged victorious in federal court in 2003, securing a $3.8 million settlement for backpay and damages. However, the verdict was reversed upon Goodyear's appeal.
The case eventually reached the Supreme Court in 2007, where it was upheld, with a 5-4 decision. The justices determined that Ledbetter should have filed a lawsuit within 180 days of Goodyear's initial underpayment. As she missed this deadline, she had no legal basis for her case, according to the court.
In her retirement, Ledbetter became an advocate and activist for gender equality.
When Barack Obama assumed the presidency, his first legislative act was the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law.
"That was the most incredible emotion I've ever experienced," Ledbetter recounted to CNN in 2018. "I'd put it beside having a son and a daughter."
Obama paid tribute to Ledbetter on social media.
"Lilly exemplified the American spirit of setting lofty goals for herself and her loved ones," Obama posted on Twitter. "Michelle and I are appreciative of her advocacy and friendship, and send our love and prayers to her family and those carrying on the fight she began."
Ledbetter continued her advocacy for pay equity, publishing a 2019 op-ed for CNN as Congress once again debated the Paycheck Fairness Act, which failed to pass.
"The wage gap persists as a reality I feel compelled to discuss with the up-and-coming women I meet nationwide," she wrote. "Although I was in their shoes decades ago, the issue of pay discrimination has yet to abate."
As of 2024, women earn 84 cents for every dollar a man makes, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity and the Equal Pay Today campaign. This statistic is derived from data on full-time, year-round workers from the US Census in 2022. If part-time workers and those not employed year-round are included, the gender pay gap worsens to 78 cents on the dollar, reported CNN in March, citing Deborah Vagins, national campaign director of Equal Rights Advocates and director of Equal Pay Today.
As per IMDB, a film titled "Lilly" based on Ledbetter's life is set for release this year.
CNN’s Vanessa Yurkevich and Jeanne Sahadi contributed to this report.
Ledbetter expressed her gratitude to President Obama after he signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law in 2009, stating that it was an incredible emotion for her. (Us, Obama)
In their tribute to Ledbetter, Michelle and Obama appreciated her advocacy and friendship, expressing their love and prayers for her family. (Us, Michelle and Obama)
