High Court Won’t Review Salary History Defense in Pay Bias Suits

The U.S. Supreme Court won’t resolve whether employers can use salary history to defend against suits accusing them of paying women less than men in similar jobs, a business practice that worker advocates say perpetuates gender discrimination.

The high court on Thursday declined to consider the case of Fresno County, Calif., math consultant Aileen Rizo, who sued her school district when she discovered men in similar jobs made as much as $10,000 more than she did for similar work. The district justified her lower pay because her compensation was based on the salary she made at her previous job at ...