On June 5, 2025, the United States Supreme Court issued its opinion in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, No. 23-1039, reviving a lawsuit brought by a heterosexual female employee who alleged she was discriminated against by her employer in favor of less qualified gay candidates. The decision conclusively establishes that the evidentiary burden in so-called “reverse discrimination” cases is identical as in cases brought by members of minority race, gender, and sexual orientation groups.

Marlean Ames worked for the Ohio Department of Youth Services for 15 years, rising from executive secretary to Program Administrator. In 2019, Ms. Ames applied and interviewed for a newly created management position in the agency’s Office of Quality and Improvement, but the Department hired a lesbi

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