US Supreme Court seems poised to lower bar for 'reverse discrimination' suits

[Polybius]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court justices appeared on Wednesday to lean toward making it easier for people from "majority backgrounds," such as white or straight people, to pursue workplace discrimination claims, as they heard an appeal by an Ohio woman who claims she was denied a promotion and demoted because she is heterosexual.

The justices heard arguments in a case in which the plaintiff, Marlean Ames, is asking them to revive her civil rights lawsuit against her employer, Ohio's Department of Youth Services, after lower courts ruled against her. The justices seemed poised to throw out a ruling against Ames by the Cincinnati, Ohio-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and direct lower courts to reconsider the matter.

Ames, 60, has argued that she was discriminated against because she is heterosexual in violation of a landmark federal anti-discrimination law. Ames said she had a gay supervisor in 2019 when she was passed over for a promotion in favor of a gay woman and demoted in favor of a gay man - both of whom, she asserted, were less qualified than her.

A ruling in favor of Ames could bolster the growing number of lawsuits by white and straight workers claiming illegal bias - often called "reverse discrimination" - amid a backlash by conservatives and Republicans against initiatives promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the workforce. On his first day back in office last month, Republican President Donald Trump ordered the dismantling of such policies in federal agencies and encouraged private companies to follow suit.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/straight-womans-reverse-discrimination-case-goes-us-supreme-court-2025-02-26/

[JohnSJ]

1. So when will the super dragon the KKK claim discrimination for being a racist?

[intrepidity]

2. She's 60?

Discrimination may be happening, but may be a different type.

[Deminpenn]

4. Agree she'd have had a better

case based on age discrimination.

[Henry203]

3. These people are the Supreme courts is nuts

With rare exception none of them have never been discrimanted against.

[Pull_Left]

10. Really?

4 woman
2 black
jewish

Never is a big word

Now every one of them have had their privilege not seen by most all of America (some more than others), but pretty sure they've seen discrimination

[Henry203]

11. I was talking about the plaintiffs

and the people sceaming reverse racism.

[Pull_Left]

12. Ahh, apologies :)

[Marthe48]

5. Maybe she isn't a people person

If any part of her job means dealing with people, maybe she didn't cut the mustard.

[synni]

7. If that were the case....

She would have been fired, not just denied a promotion and demoted.

[intheflow]

14. Not necessarily.

If she's in a support position she might not need people skills, but for promotion she might.

[FakeNoose]

6. How can someone be denied a promotion "because they are heterosexual" ?

That is absolutely absurd! SCOTUS has gone off the deep end.

[Pull_Left]

9. Simple

Her claim is that management denied her advancement, and final dismissal because they wanted to fill the ranks with LGBTQ+ employees, which on the surface, appears to bear out (though her age was probably a factor too).

What SCOTUS is looking at is whether it's right that she must achieve a higher bar to prove discrimination than any other class, that's all. Frankly, there should not be a different standard to prove discrimination under equal protection.

[NotHardly]

8. These f*cks again.

[IzzaNuDay]

13. I want to see the proof the "minorities" are less qualified.

Just because she says it doesn’t make it so.
I speculate she may have had issues dealing with the LGTBQ community and the supervisor wanted to minimize her contact.

[hueymahl]

15. That is the point of the appeal

The original ruling was, essentially, that she could not present the facts of her case. If the SC reverses, then, subject to other legal rulings, she will be able to present to fact finder evidence that she faced discrimination.