Federated Rural Electric Insurance Co. v. Kessler

The issues in this case are: (1) whether Federated Rural Electric Insurance Company's (Federated) rule prohibiting the romantic association of any employee of one sex with a married employee of the opposite sex impermissibly discriminates on the basis of marital status. The Madison Equal Opportunities Commission concluded that the rule violated Madison's equal opportunities ordinance, and that Federated discharged Kessler "in part" because he violated the rule.(2) If the employer's rule does impermissibly discriminate on the basis of marital status, then the issue is whether to apply the "in…