Senator Ted Kennedy has passed away at the age of 77. Senator Kennedy, a lawyer, was a huge proponent of anti-discrimination and employment laws. His achievements in passing employing laws have had a huge impact on employers and employees, as well as labor and employment lawyers advocating and defending employment lawsuits.
He was one of the chief sponsors of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Senator Kennedy was also the chief sponsor the largest reform of the nation's pension system since 1974, the Pension Reform Act of 2006. He was also the chief Senate sponsor for an act that would prohibit employers from discriminating against employees and applicants based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. The Federal law does not offer such protection. The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination does offer such protection. In addition, Senator Kennedy championed signing into law of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This bill was sponsored last year and extends the time period in which employees can pursue disparate pay claims under anti-discrimination laws, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
