On February 26, 2002, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced the settlement of a class action lawsuit alleging pregnancy discrimination against Verizon predecessor companies NYNEX and Bell Atlantic in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Equal Pay Act, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991. Under the settlement, thousands of current and former female employees in 13 states and the District of Columbia were to receive millions in benefits that were not made available to them for discriminatory reasons related to pregnancy or maternity leave between the years 1965 and 1983. In June 2006, it was reported that, pursuant to the settlement, Verizon would pay a total of $49 million to more than 12,300 current and former employees.