Sandra Bundy facts for kids

Sandra Bundy (born March 12, 1934) is best known for her part in landmark case Bundy v. Jackson, which was the first federal appeals court case to hold that workplace ... was employment discrimination and a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Biography

Sandra Bundy grew up in Washington, D.C. Her father left the family when she was still a child. She has said she believes a lack of a father figure may have contributed to her problems with relationships later in life. She graduated in 1952 from Armstrong Technical, a D.C. public high school that is now closed. Bundy studied for two years at the (now) University of the District of Columbia, but did not complete her degree.

Bundy was married five times. Two of her husbands beat her, giving her concussions. She had five children, though one daughter died as a toddler after a neighborhood boy lit the 3-year-old's dress on fire with matches. None of her children's fathers stayed in Bundy's life or paid child support.

Bundy participated in the civil rights movement in the 1960s, including attending marches. She also started a union supporting an end to racial segregation in the workforce.

In the late 1960s, Bundy worked as a U.S. Department of Commerce clerk during the day, and as a grocery store cashier at night, but was still having major financial problems and filed for bankruptcy. Her boss at the U.S. Department of Commerce said she couldn't receive any more promotions because she lacked a college degree and she decided to find a new job.

Bundy v. Jackson case

When no action was taken, Bundy met with lawyer Robert Adler, who agreed to take on the case even though there was no legal precedent and Bundy didn't have much money to offer. Bundy filed suit in 1977 in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia seeking declaratory and injunctive relief. ..... Five years later the Supreme Court agreed with this holding in Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson.

Film

A feature film about her life called Silence Breaker: The Sandra Bundy Story, was announced by Adaptive Studios and EnLight Productions in March 2018. The film has yet to be made.

Personal

Bundy lives near Washington, DC. She has a piano and enjoys gardening, which she has said is "therapy for me."