Takeaways
- The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a heightened standard for reverse discrimination claims under Title VII.
- This decision, combined with Muldrow, lowers the bar for employees to bring discrimination lawsuits.
On June 5, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court (“SCOTUS”) issued a unanimous decision in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, which rejected a heightened standard for pursuing reverse discrimination claims under Title VII. Ames filed a lawsuit under Title VII alleging that she was discriminated against for being heterosexual when she was denied a promotion and then demoted in favor of homosexual coworkers. Ames applied for a newly created and open position within the Ohio Department of Your Services (“ODYS”). Not only did Ames not receive the job, she was subsequently demoted to her prior position with a reduced salary. The ODYS hired a lesbian woman for the position Ames sought. It then hired a gay man to replace Ames in her program leadership position after she had been demoted.Continue Reading Reverse Discrimination Claims Are Easier To Pursue After SCOTUS Decision