
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 27, 1991                   TAG: 9103270094
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Cox News Service
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

WORKERS UNPROTECTED OVERSEAS

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that federal protection against racial, religious, ethnic or sexual discrimination on the job does not extend to Americans working abroad for U.S. firms.

The ruling could have an immediate impact for thousands of U.S. workers who are hoping to be hired by American firms helping to rebuild war-ravaged Kuwait.

In a 6-3 vote, the court said Title VII of the Civil Rights Act - which outlaws work place bias based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin - does not protect U.S. citizens employed in foreign countries by American companies.

The court dismissed a lawsuit by a naturalized U.S. citizen, born in Lebanon, who said he was fired because of his race, religion and natural origin while working in Saudi Arabia for the Arab American Oil Co., a Houston-based firm.

"It is a longstanding principle of American law `that legislation of Congress, unless a contrary intent appears, is meant to apply only within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States,' " wrote Chief Justice William Rehnquist.

Justices Thurgood Marshall, Harry Blackmun and John Paul Stevens dissented.

by CNB