Griggs v. Duke Power Co. (1971) Definition

A U.S. Supreme Court case which held that neutral employment practices having a discriminatory effect can violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, even if the employer didn't intend to discriminate. Griggs is significant because the Court approved the disparate impact theory of employment discrimination. Before Griggs, it was widely argued that only intentional discrimination would suffice to make out a claim of Title VII employment discrimination.