Oscar Mayer & Co. v. Evans
441 U.S. 750 · Decided May 21, 1979 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Oscar Mayer & Co. v. Evans was decided on May 21, 1979 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Employment discrimination (race, age, religion, illegitimacy, national origin, working conditions)” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 441 U.S. 750 · 99 S. Ct. 2066 · 60 L. Ed. 2d 609 · 1979 U.S. LEXIS 102
- Docket number
- 78-275
- Decided
- May 21, 1979
- Argued
- February 28, 1979
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Employment discrimination (race, age, religion, illegitimacy, national origin, working conditions)
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Age Discrimination in Employment Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Dissent | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Oscar Mayer & Co. et al. v. Evans
SCDB identifiers: case 1978-095, docket 1978-095-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Employment discrimination (race, age, religion, illegitimacy, national origin, working conditions)”
- County of Los Angeles v. Davis
- New York City Transit Authority v. Beazer
- Harrah Independent School District v. Martin
- Vance v. Bradley
- Board of Trustees of Keene State College v. Sweeney
- California Brewers Assn. v. Bryant
Cases on the same legal provision: Age Discrimination in Employment Act
- Lorillard v. Pons
- Lehman v. Nakshian
- Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. v. Richard Sperling
- Robert D. Gilmer v. Interstate/johnson Lane Corporation
- Christine McKennon v. Nashville Banner Publishing Company
- J. Daniel Kimel, Jr. v. Florida Board of RegentsLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Board of Trustees of Keene State College v. Sweeney
- Dougherty County v. White
- Holt Civic Club v. City of Tuscaloosa
- Califano v. Aznavorian
- Lalli v. Lalli
- Duren v. MissouriAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error