The Region - News from Oct. 13, 1985

In a decision that affects both public and private employees, a California appeals court ruled that employers who refuse to hire the spouse of a current employee are guilty of marriage discrimination unless they can show there is a potential conflict of interest. The 3-0 ruling by the 2nd District Court of Appeal involved a 1980 Simi Valley ordinance that has since been abandoned. The ruling came in the case of James Goehring, who sought and was denied a job as a mechanic at the Simi Valley Public Works Department in 1980 because his wife was already employed there as a clerk. Goehring filed a complaint with the state Fair Employment Commission in June, 1981. The decision will apply statewide unless reversed by the California Supreme Court.