The Goodman v. Lukens Steel Co. case in 1986 involved a group of African American employees who sued their employer, Lukens Steel Company, for racial discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and Section 1981 of the U.S. Code. The plaintiffs claimed that they were paid less than white workers doing similar jobs and were denied promotions due to their race. However, the Supreme Court ruled against them because they had waited too long to file their lawsuit after discovering discriminatory practices at work; thus violating statute-of-limitations rules which require such suits be filed within a certain time frame from when alleged discrimination occurred or was discovered by victims (four years in this case). This decision underscored the importance of timely filing in civil rights cases involving employment discrimination.

In the dissenting opinion for Goodman et al. v. Lukens Steel Co. et al., Justice Brennan, joined by Justices Marshall and Blackmun, argued that the majority's decision to apply a shorter statute of limitations period was inconsistent with previous court rulings and Congressional intent regarding civil rights legislation. They contended that Congress intended for these laws to have broad remedial impact, which would be undermined by limiting the time frame in which claims could be brought forth. The dissent also pointed out potential difficulties in identifying discriminatory practices within such a short window of time, particularly when dealing with systemic or institutionalized discrimination where evidence may not immediately surface or be recognized as discriminatory behavior.