One Standard to Rule Them All: Supreme Court Strikes Down Higher Bar for Majority Plaintiffs

On June 5, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Service that fundamentally altered how reverse discrimination claims are assessed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”). The Court ruled that employees from majority groups, (e.g., white, heterosexual, male) are not required to meet a higher evidentiary standard, such as proving “background circumstances,” to bring a valid Title VII discrimination claim. This decision ensures that all discrimination claims under Title VII are evaluated under the same legal standard, regardless of the plaintiff’s race, sex, or orientation. Furthermore, it eliminates what the Court considered an unwarranted, judicially created obstacle.

Background: The “Background Circumstances”