Supreme Court Rules Workplace Discrimination Laws Protect Majority Groups Equally

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that protections against workplace discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 apply equally to majority-group members, including heterosexual individuals, rejecting prior legal standards that required them to meet higher proof burdens. This decision arose from Marlean Ames' case, a heterosexual woman who alleged she was demoted and denied a promotion due to sexual orientation discrimination by her employer, the Ohio Department of Youth Services. The Court struck down the Sixth Circuit's requirement that majority plaintiffs provide 'background circumstances' to support discrimination claims, affirming that the law prohibits discrimination against "any individual" regardless of majority or minority status. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson emphasized that Congress intended no special evidentiary rules for majority-group plaintiffs, a stance echoed in the concurring opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas. The ruling not only revives Ames' lawsuit but also establishes a precedent that could impact how reverse discrimination claims are handled across the nation. Advocacy groups praised the decision for affirming fairness and equal protection in workplace discrimination cases.