In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 5 that majority-group plaintiffs are entitled to the same legal standard as minority-group plaintiffs when bringing employment discrimination claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The decision in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services clarifies, rather than changes, the legal framework for these claims, according to the NAACP.
The case centered on the 6th Circuit’s application of the so-called background circumstances test, a heightened evidentiary standard applied when plaintiffs from majority groups, such as white workers, allege employment discrimination. The Supreme Court did not overturn Title VII standards or alter the foundational McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework used in employment discrimination cases.
The McDonnell Douglas framework is a legal standard used to determine whether a plaintiff can prove their claim of discrimination. The employee must first present evidence that creates a reasonable inference of discrimination. Then, the burden shifts to the employer to articulate a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for their action. Finally, the burden shifts back to the employee to prove that the employer’s reason is a pretext for discrimination. It is typically used when there is a lack of direct evidence of discrimination. Instead, the justices unanimously concluded that the 6th Circuit misapplied the law.
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