In a landmark ruling significantly changing how workplace discrimination claims are litigated, the U.S. Supreme Court has removed a major barrier for plaintiffs alleging “reverse discrimination” claims under Title VII. In Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, the Court unanimously rejected the “background circumstances” test, a judicial standard requiring white, male, heterosexual, or otherwise majority-group employees to meet a heightened burden when asserting Title VII claims.
The decision eliminates a decades-old rule that raised the bar for white employees and other members of majority groups claiming employment discrimination (otherwise referred to as “reverse discrimination” claims). By eliminating this rule, the Court reaffirmed that Title VII applies equally to all individuals — whether white or nonwhite, male or female, gay or straight — without imposing different legal standards based on group identity.
