Around the same time, her father died in a sawmill accident, leaving her mother to raise and provide for Lorena and her three siblings.
"[2] While Lorena was working at Southern Bell, she saw a notice that a higher paying switchman's job was open.
After returning to work, she began to write out her reports by hand instead of lifting her typewriter onto the desk.
[2] She then met with Marguerite Rawalt who told her that the National Organization for Women would represent her for free.
[2] In the end, Lorena Weeks received a check for $31,000 in back pay and the switchman's job.
[2] Weeks v. Southern Bell was an important case as it marked the first victory in which NOW used the Civil Rights Act to fight gender-based discrimination.