Edelman v. Lynchburg College

Summary

The Court held that Title VII permits an otherwise timely written charge filed with the EEOC to be verified after the filing deadline, with the verification relating back to the original filing. It rejected the view that the statute unambiguously requires verification within the filing period and concluded that the EEOC's regulation was a reasonable interpretation and consistent with the statute. The Court did not decide whether Edelman's letter was actually a charge or whether delayed notice prejudiced the College, leaving those matters for remand. Justice O'Connor, joined by Justice Scalia, concurred in the judgment on the ground that the regulation warranted deference under the applicable agency-deference framework; Justice Thomas concurred based on the EEOC's authority to issue the procedural regulation and its reasonableness.