Barbara MARKS and Shirley Johnson, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. PRATTCO, INC., Defendant-Appellant

JAMES C. HILL, Circuit Judge:

Appellant Prattco, Inc. operates a Holiday Inn in Fort Worth, Texas. Appellees Barbara Marks and Shirley Johnson are black women who were employed in the Inn’s housekeeping department. On November 17,1974, Kathy Mendoza, the newly hired head of the housekeeping department, held a staff meeting at which she fired Marks, Johnson and three other black women. The remaining four women, all of whom are white, were retained. Within 5 days, Johnson and Marks were replaced by two white women.

Marks and Johnson duly filed complaints with the EEOC and, after a hearing, were…