A federal trial over whether Nike systematically underpaid women began July 10, in U.S. District Court in Portland.

Eight years after the lawsuit was first filed against Beaverton's largest employer, one plaintiff will finally face the company in court.

The week-long trial, according to OPB, stems from a 2018 lawsuit brought by former Nike employees Kelly Cahill and Sara Johnston. They alleged the sportswear giant systematically underpaid women in salaried corporate positions at Nike's campus off Southwest Murray Boulevard.

The suit was originally filed on behalf of more than 500 women, but only one plaintiff is proceeding to trial.

The case, Cahill v. Nike (No. 3:18-cv-01477), was filed August 9, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. The original complaint alleged violations of the federal Equal Pay Act and Oregon state law related to hiring, pay, raises, bonuses, promotions, and work assignments. An amended complaint filed in November 2018 added claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

According to federal court records compiled by the Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse, the putative class grew to include more than 5,200 female employees across 1,249 job codes.

District Judge Marco A. Hernandez denied class certification on March 21, adopting a magistrate judge's finding that Nike's challenged practices were subject to individual manager discretion and that the proposed class lacked adequate commonality.

The case was reassigned to District Judge Amy M. Baggio in August 2024. On February 21, 2025, the parties announced a settlement of individual claims for some plaintiffs, though the terms were not made public. Later in the fall that same year, the remaining plaintiffs filed a motion seeking renewed class certification.

Discovery lasted more than four years. Several media organizations intervened to unseal certain records, and Nike appealed two discovery-related orders to the Ninth Circuit.

What comes next

Court records do not identify which plaintiff is proceeding to trial, and Nike has not commented publicly.

The trial is scheduled to last approximately one week, according to OPB. If it concludes on schedule, a verdict could follow the week of July 13. The Beaverton Beat will publish a follow-up when the outcome is announced.

Separately, Nike faces a distinct federal investigation disclosed in February 2026, in which the EEOC is probing allegations that the company discriminated against white employees through its diversity policies. That matter is unrelated to the gender pay trial now underway in Portland.