Lawsuit Over Women in Combat Roles Advances

Courthouse News reports:

The United States government can’t escape a lawsuit claiming it applies biased rules based on gender stereotypes to block female soldiers from serving in combat roles, a federal judge ruled from the bench Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Edward Chen refused to dismiss a lawsuit challenging lingering barriers to military service for women. Chen said he could not yet determine if Department of Defense policies were enacted for sexist reasons as alleged.

“There’s a dispute here about what’s the real rationale,” Chen said in court Thursday. “Is it a sufficiently supported one? I don’t’ see how we can resolve that on a motion to dismiss.”

The litigation started in 2012 when four servicewomen, including two Purple Heart recipients, challenged a 1994 policy that barred women from serving in 238,000 military positions.

In 2013, then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta rescinded that policy, but it was followed three years later with a new “Leaders First” directive, which only allows women to serve in combat units with at least two female leaders.

Government by judiciary update..........