Steeler's Wheels is a tire "superstore" located outside Pittsburg, PA.The store employs 27 workers of which 21 work as mechanics servicing cars, 2 are service managers, and 4 are front office staff.Of the workforce, there are 18 male and only 3 female mechanics.The office staff has 3 women and only 1 man.The managers are both men.

One day Francis, one of the front office staff, happens to see a payroll ledger printout.After some quick calculations and work on an excel spreadsheet, Francis is shocked to see that the male workers make an average wage of $18 per hour, whereas the women make a paltry average of $9.50 per hour average.Francis believes this is a discrimination claim.Do you agree?

What additional information might be helpful in making your determination?

Is there any possible legal explanation for the disparity?

Several days later a manager named Tony is stunned to walk into the break room and find one of his mechanics named Fred smoking cannabis from a 4' tall water pipe.Cannabis is not legal in Pennsylvania and Steeler's Wheels is a drug free work place.Tony fires Fred on the spot.Tony protests and claims that he is a Rastafarian and that he must smoke Cannabis as part of his normal religious activities.What is your analysis of this situation?

A week after the incident in the break room, Tony is again shocked when he arrives 30 minutes early work to find Cindy, one of the office staff, smoking a marijuana cigarette in her car that is parked on the store's lot.He fires her immediately.She becomes angry and informs him that the she has been prescribed the drug to help with pain caused by cancer.Tony was unaware that Cindy had cancer, but tells her she is definitely fired since her illness would probably raise health insurance costs for the whole company if she had to start chemotherapy.What is your analysis of this situation?