Supreme Court Ruling Could Floodgates for 'Reverse Discrimination' Lawsuits

Supreme Court Eases 'Reverse Discrimination' Suits: Straight Woman Wins Landmark Case In a significant legal victory, the Supreme Court unanimously sided with Marlean Ames, a straight woman from Ohio, who claimed she faced discrimination in her workplace. Ames, who had worked for the state's Department of Youth Services since 2004, alleged she was denied a promotion because of her sexual orientation. The promotion went to another gay woman. Ames's case initially faced roadblocks due to the higher legal bar for majority-group plaintiffs in Title VII discrimination cases. Five federal appeals courts previously upheld this standard, requiring evidence of widespread bias against straight people to prove such a claim. Ames couldn't meet this threshold, leading lower courts to side with Ohio. However, the Supreme Court overturned this precedent. "Our case law thus makes clear that the standard for proving disparate treatment under Title VII does not vary based on whether or not the plaintiff is a member of a majority group," wrote Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in the unanimous opinion. This landmark decision eliminates the double standard, potentially opening the floodgates for similar lawsuits. The timing of the Supreme Court's decision is particularly noteworthy. The case reached the court last fall, coinciding with President Trump's campaign for a second term, during which he pledged to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. This ruling could have significant implications for future DEI initiatives and related lawsuits.