What is the current state of the law on sex discrimination claims?

The district court found that appellants' sex discrimination claims spanned three time periods of distinct legal significance. The first period antedated March 24, 1972, when Title VII became applicable to governmental agencies. The district court held that the dual classification system in effect during this period did not violate the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because it was "substantially related to and serve(d) . . . the important governmental objective of providing an effective police force." (Blake v. City of Los Angeles (C.D.Cal.1977) 435 F.Supp. 55, 61.)