Supreme Court rules unanimously in favor of straight woman's claim of reverse discrimination

SCOTUS revives straight woman's "Reverse Discrimination" claim

FOX 5's Chief Legal Correspondent Katie Barlow discusses the Supreme Court ruling that makes it easier to file claims of "Reverse Discrimination."

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously ruled that employees from majority groups, such as white or heterosexual workers, are not required to meet a higher legal standard than minority-group employees when bringing forward workplace discrimination claims.

What we know:

The case centered on Marlean Ames, a straight woman who sued the Ohio Department of Youth Services. Ames claimed she was denied a promotion and later demoted because of her sexual orientation, arguing the decision favored LGBTQ colleagues. Lower courts dismissed her lawsuit, applying a long-standing rule used in some circuits.

The Ames case centered on how plaintiffs like her must try to prove a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars employment discrimination based on race, religion, national origin and sex. Courts including the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled against Ames, have required majority-group plaintiffs to provide "background circumstances" indicating that an employer is "that unusual employer who discriminates against the majority."

The Supreme Court rejected that standard. In the opinion written by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the Court said Title VII "draws no distinction between members of majority and minority groups." The justices ruled that all plaintiffs, regardless of their background, should be held to the same legal standard when alleging discrimination.

In a concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas, joined by Justice Neil Gorsuch, called the stricter standard for majority-group plaintiffs "judicially manufactured" and not supported by the law.

Why you should care:

This decision marks a significant shift in how discrimination claims are handled nationwide. The ruling eliminates an uneven legal hurdle that had been applied in twenty states and Washington, D.C., where majority-group plaintiffs were required to provide extra proof just to move forward.

The case now heads back to the lower courts for a second look; this time under a single, consistent standard that applies to all employees.

Advocates say this creates a more even playing field and reinforces the idea that workplace protections apply equally; regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation.

Dig deeper:

The Court also issued several other unanimous decisions Thursday:

• Religious Tax Exemption: A Catholic charity in Wisconsin won its case, with justices ruling that the state violated the First Amendment by denying it the same tax benefits granted to other religious groups.
• Gunmaker Liability: A $10 billion lawsuit from the Mexican government against U.S. gun manufacturers was dismissed. The Court said Mexico didn’t show the companies directly contributed to illegal gun trafficking.

Together, the rulings emphasize legal uniformity and reaffirm core constitutional principles across civil rights, religion and international law.