WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is taking up the case of an Ohio woman who claims she suffered sex discrimination in her employment because she is straight.
The justices on Friday agreed to review an appellate ruling that upheld the dismissal of the discrimination lawsuit filed by the woman, Marlean Ames, against the Ohio Department of Youth Services. Arguments probably will take place early next year.
RELATED: Bay Area schools caught in crossfire of national Title IX battle
Ames, who has worked for the department for 20 years, contends she was passed over for a promotion and then demoted because she is heterosexual. Both the job she sought and the one she had held were given to LGBTQ people.
Related Articles
US adds a robust 254,000 jobs and unemployment dips to in sign of still-sturdy labor market
Former Bay Area labor organizer uses tech to help governments better support people in poverty
Tech companies trim Bay Area jobs as layoffs persist for woozy sector
California collects millions in stolen wages, but can’t find many workers to pay them
Dockworkers’ union to suspend strike until Jan. 15 to allow time to negotiate new contract
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bars sex discrimination in the workplace. A trial court and the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Ames.
The question for the justices is that the 6th Circuit and several other appeals courts apply a higher standard when members of a majority group make discrimination claims. People alleging workplace bias have to show “background circumstances,” including that LGBTQ people made the decisions affecting Ames or statistical evidence showing a pattern of discrimination against members of the majority group.
The appeals court noted that Ames didn’t provide any such circumstances.
