Supreme Court Eases Path for 'Reverse' Discrimination Claims

The U.S. Supreme Court has made it easier for majority group individuals to claim workplace 'reverse' discrimination. It revived Marlean Ames' lawsuit, challenging the extra evidence requirement for such claims. The Court ruled that Title VII should not impose a greater burden on majority plaintiffs.

In a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled to ease the process for individuals from majority backgrounds, such as white or heterosexual people, to file 'reverse' discrimination lawsuits. The decision revives Ohio woman Marlean Ames' case against the state’s Department of Youth Services.

The case scrutinized interpretations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination. Ames challenged the practice where courts required extra evidence from majority plaintiffs to establish a prima facie discrimination case.

The ruling, authored by Liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, concluded that Title VII does not demand heightened requirements from majority plaintiffs. The case will now be returned to lower courts to apply the appropriate standards.