Geduldig v. Aiello

Three of the women had a wide range of pregnancy-related disabilities: Carolyn Aiello suffered an ectopic pregnancy that required surgical termination; Elizabeth Johnson endured a tubal pregnancy, also necessitating surgical termination; and Augustina Armendariz miscarried. Jacqueline Jaramillo, however, had a normal pregnancy and delivery. All were excluded according to Section 2626 of the Unemployment Insurance Code, which read:

"Disability" or "disabled" includes both mental or physical illness and mental or physical injury. An individual shall be deemed disabled in any day in which, because of his [or her] physical or mental condition, he [she] is unable to perform his [her] regular or customary work. 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.

A three-judge panel of the federal district court ruled that the fund's pregnancy exclusion violated the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Dwight Geduldig, the director of California's Department of Human Resources Development, appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case.