The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Marlean Ames, an Ohio woman who claimed she was denied a promotion in favor of less-qualified gay candidates.
The justices struck down the “background circumstances” rule, which imposed a higher burden of proof on majority-group plaintiffs under Title VII.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote that this heightened standard was inconsistent with the law. While the ruling sends the case back to lower courts for further review, it represents a key decision on workplace discrimination.
The court also ruled in favor of a Catholic charity in a separate case involving religious tax exemptions.
