In the case of Baldwin County Welcome Center v. Brown in 1983, the U.S Supreme Court addressed a dispute involving an employee's right to sue for back pay under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The plaintiff, Lois Davis Brown, was fired from her job at Alabama’s Baldwin County Welcome Center after she filed a complaint with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleging racial discrimination. She then sued her employer seeking reinstatement and back pay. However, due to procedural errors during filing process including failure to file within specified time limit set by EEOC guidelines and not receiving 'right-to-sue' letter before initiating legal action; lower courts dismissed her claim as untimely. The Supreme Court reversed this decision stating that receipt of 'right-to-sue' letter is not jurisdictional prerequisite but merely procedural one which can be waived if it does not prejudice defendant's rights or ability to defend against lawsuit. Furthermore, court held that while timeliness is crucial in such cases; technicalities should not prevent justice from being served especially when there are no signs of deliberate delay or bad faith on part of plaintiff.

In the dissenting opinion for Baldwin County Welcome Center v. Brown, Justice O'Connor disagreed with the majority's view that a probationary or temporary employee could not bring a Title VII claim against an employer if they were dismissed during or at the end of their probationary period. She argued that this interpretation was too narrow and inconsistent with Congress' intent when it enacted Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to protect employees from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. According to her viewpoint, all employees should be protected under this act regardless of their employment status - permanent or temporary. Furthermore, she contended that such protection is essential in ensuring equal opportunity in employment as intended by law.