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BumRushDaShow

(165,152 posts)
Thu Jun 5, 2025, 09:12 AM Jun 2025

Supreme Court sides with woman claiming anti-straight job discrimination

Source: Washington Post

June 5, 2025 at 10:32 a.m. EDT


The Supreme Court on Thursday sided with a straight woman who claimed she faced bias in the workplace after she was passed over for positions that went to gay colleagues. The decision will make it easier for members of majority groups to prove job discrimination claims.

The justices unanimously struck down a standard used in nearly half the nation’s federal circuits that required people who are White, male or not gay to meet a higher bar to prove workplace bias in certain cases than do individuals whose minority communities have traditionally faced discrimination.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who wrote the opinion for the court, agreed with Marlean Ames, who argued that it was unconstitutional to have different standards for different groups of people. “Congress left no room for courts to impose special requirements on majority-group plaintiffs alone,” Jackson wrote.

The Supreme Court decision revived Ames’s discrimination claim against the agency overseeing youth corrections facilities in Ohio, sending it back to the lower courts that had ruled she hadn’t met the higher bar of proof.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/06/05/workplace-discrimination-supreme-court-decision/



No paywall (gift)

Link to SCOTUS RULING (PDF) - https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/23-1039_c0n2.pdf

Article updated.

Original article -

June 5, 2025 at 10:07 a.m. EDT


The Supreme Court on Thursday sided with a straight woman who claimed she faced bias in the workplace after she was passed over for positions that went to gay colleagues. The decision that will make it easier for members of majority groups to prove job discrimination claims.

The justices unanimously struck down a standard used in nearly half the nation's federal circuits that required people who are White, male or not gay to meet a higher bar to prove workplace bias in certain cases than do individuals whose minority communities have traditionally faced discrimination.

Marlean Ames argued it was unconstitutional to have different standards for different groups of people. She asked the Supreme Court to revive her discrimination claim against the agency overseeing youth corrections facilities in Ohio. Lower courts had ruled she hadn't met the higher bar of proof.

"Little did I know at the time that I filed that my burden was going to be harsher than somebody else's burden to prove my case," Ames said in an interview earlier this year. "I want people to try and understand that we're trying to make this a level playing field for everyone. Not just for a White woman in Ohio."
35 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Supreme Court sides with woman claiming anti-straight job discrimination (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Jun 2025 OP
Because of course they did. Scrivener7 Jun 2025 #1
The decision was unanimous. Ocelot II Jun 2025 #2
I just updated the OP with the latest - this is what Justice Jackson wrote BumRushDaShow Jun 2025 #3
The decision just sends it back for adjudication mdbl Jun 2025 #4
Right. The headline is very misleading. yardwork Jun 2025 #14
This message was self-deleted by its author yardwork Jun 2025 #15
Please angrychair Jun 2025 #19
We'll see how it plays out in the courts mdbl Jun 2025 #21
This ruling angrychair Jun 2025 #23
Fragile White Syndrome is a new condition wolfie001 Jun 2025 #5
Justice Jackson wrote the unanimous opinion for the Court. Does she suffer from this affliction as well? tritsofme Jun 2025 #9
Oh great. Now I have to do some reading wolfie001 Jun 2025 #32
Fragile White Syndrome has been around since anti discrimination laws first began yellowdogintexas Jun 2025 #13
I'm tired of being picked on because I'm white. Hotler Jun 2025 #29
Hey! I'm white as well wolfie001 Jun 2025 #31
I'm right there with you. Another favorite is, "I'm tired of being picked on because of my liberal views.". Hotler Jun 2025 #33
You too! wolfie001 Jun 2025 #34
it was a 9-0 decision. all it means is she CAN sue moonshinegnomie Jun 2025 #6
I think DEI is officially DOA. Mosby Jun 2025 #7
This is the correct decision. WhiskeyGrinder Jun 2025 #8
Especially angrychair Jun 2025 #20
So...uh...why do you suppose Justice Jackson, who wrote the opinion, joined by Kagan and Sotomayor tritsofme Jun 2025 #24
If the shoe was on a minority's foot, would the SC even take the case? wolfie001 Jun 2025 #35
Apparently you dont understand the decision. Callie1979 Jun 2025 #26
Obviously. Dr. Strange Jun 2025 #22
So far, all three SC rulings that I'm seeing today have been unanimous Polybius Jun 2025 #10
So you can't take sides against gays either. Am I interpreting correctly? twodogsbarking Jun 2025 #11
No. I'll let DU law experts explain, but the headline is misleading. yardwork Jun 2025 #16
Ah, the details. The devil isn't even hiding. twodogsbarking Jun 2025 #17
To clarify, I don't really think that gays are "anti-straight". They just aren't straight. twodogsbarking Jun 2025 #12
Even the courts are fucked angrychair Jun 2025 #18
They still have to win the suit Shrek Jun 2025 #25
This ruling angrychair Jun 2025 #28
"literally" everything? Numerous lawsuits in the past prove otherwise. Callie1979 Jun 2025 #27
It's like we haven't lived through the last 250 years angrychair Jun 2025 #30

BumRushDaShow

(165,152 posts)
3. I just updated the OP with the latest - this is what Justice Jackson wrote
Thu Jun 5, 2025, 09:43 AM
Jun 2025
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who wrote the opinion for the court, agreed with Marlean Ames, who argued that it was unconstitutional to have different standards for different groups of people. “Congress left no room for courts to impose special requirements on majority-group plaintiffs alone,” Jackson wrote.

mdbl

(8,016 posts)
4. The decision just sends it back for adjudication
Thu Jun 5, 2025, 09:58 AM
Jun 2025

It doesn't necessarily mean she'll win the case.

Response to mdbl (Reply #4)

angrychair

(11,639 posts)
19. Please
Thu Jun 5, 2025, 01:52 PM
Jun 2025

Everything, literally everything, is already tilted in favor of straight, white people. This court ruling just handed straight white men the right to sue for discrimination every time a woman or person of color gets a job over them. Which means straight white men will continue to get all the best jobs and opportunities for fear of litigation.

mdbl

(8,016 posts)
21. We'll see how it plays out in the courts
Thu Jun 5, 2025, 02:23 PM
Jun 2025

It will be interesting to see corporate heads justify some of their stupid sycophantic choices. Anyone can sue, not just straight white people.

angrychair

(11,639 posts)
23. This ruling
Thu Jun 5, 2025, 03:36 PM
Jun 2025

Is specific to straight white people. Well to be fair, the courts choose to favor straight white men 250 years ago.

wolfie001

(6,954 posts)
5. Fragile White Syndrome is a new condition
Thu Jun 5, 2025, 09:59 AM
Jun 2025

FWS. Expect cash rewards from the racist tRUMP administration. Cheaper, easier and much better odds than playing the Lottery.

tritsofme

(19,766 posts)
9. Justice Jackson wrote the unanimous opinion for the Court. Does she suffer from this affliction as well?
Thu Jun 5, 2025, 11:27 AM
Jun 2025

wolfie001

(6,954 posts)
32. Oh great. Now I have to do some reading
Fri Jun 6, 2025, 10:29 AM
Jun 2025

I guess that was a shoot first, ask questions later

yellowdogintexas

(23,591 posts)
13. Fragile White Syndrome has been around since anti discrimination laws first began
Thu Jun 5, 2025, 12:56 PM
Jun 2025

"I did not get hired/admitted to college because I am Male/white/straight"

I have been hearing that for years.

Hotler

(13,717 posts)
33. I'm right there with you. Another favorite is, "I'm tired of being picked on because of my liberal views.".
Fri Jun 6, 2025, 10:31 AM
Jun 2025

Happy Friday.

angrychair

(11,639 posts)
20. Especially
Thu Jun 5, 2025, 01:55 PM
Jun 2025

If you are a straight white male. This ruling essentially zeros out all the gains made in the last 250 years for anyone that isn't a straight white man.

tritsofme

(19,766 posts)
24. So...uh...why do you suppose Justice Jackson, who wrote the opinion, joined by Kagan and Sotomayor
Fri Jun 6, 2025, 05:05 AM
Jun 2025

Would be so eager to “zero out” all the gains made in the last 250 years for anyone that isn't a straight white man?

That seems like a pretty silly position to take.

wolfie001

(6,954 posts)
35. If the shoe was on a minority's foot, would the SC even take the case?
Fri Jun 6, 2025, 10:35 AM
Jun 2025

My 65 years of being a Democrat and watching the destruction of all things sane by the repuke party says "F6ck no."

Polybius

(21,394 posts)
10. So far, all three SC rulings that I'm seeing today have been unanimous
Thu Jun 5, 2025, 12:05 PM
Jun 2025

Like I said in another thread, hard to argue with unanimous rulings.

angrychair

(11,639 posts)
18. Even the courts are fucked
Thu Jun 5, 2025, 01:47 PM
Jun 2025

This is incredibly disappointing. The audacity to complain when literally EVERYTHING is tilted in favor of white people. It the very reason rules and laws like this were created. Even this lady doesn't realize that she set back equal employment opportunities for women by decades. Now every fucking time a white man doesn't get a job and a woman or Black person does they will sue for "discrimination".

Shrek

(4,386 posts)
25. They still have to win the suit
Fri Jun 6, 2025, 06:02 AM
Jun 2025

This ruling just lets them have their day in court, and that's okay.

angrychair

(11,639 posts)
28. This ruling
Fri Jun 6, 2025, 08:56 AM
Jun 2025

Will make companies risk adverse. For them it will just be easier to hire the white person over the Black or gay one to avoid legal issues.
This is just one of those "death by a thousand cuts" principles.

Callie1979

(1,084 posts)
27. "literally" everything? Numerous lawsuits in the past prove otherwise.
Fri Jun 6, 2025, 06:24 AM
Jun 2025

Whenever ANY group is given total control, there is always a great chance of abuse of that control. And over the years there have been several where white plaintiffs successfully proved that yes, THEY were discriminated against or harassed by others.
Does that mean its the norm? No of course not. But when it happens it SHOULD be called out & stopped.

angrychair

(11,639 posts)
30. It's like we haven't lived through the last 250 years
Fri Jun 6, 2025, 09:11 AM
Jun 2025

I think white people get treated more than fairly. The moment a white person thinks they are not it becomes a SCOTUS case. Can't have a Black or gay people getting a job meant for a straight white person. How dare they.
The problem is that, historically (like since yesterday), LGBTQ+ people and Black and Hispanic and Asian people haven't had the same level of success as white people with the legal system in the United States.
As most things are, this new ruling will more heavily favor the outcome in their favor. Not so much for everyone else.

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