SCOTUS Strikes Down Heightened Title VII Standard For Reverse Discrimination Claims

On June 5, 2025, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) clarified the appropriate evidentiary standard for so-called “reverse discrimination” claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)—that is, claims in which the plaintiff is a member of a perceived majority group. 

In Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, the Court unanimously, in nine succinct pages, decided that “majority-group plaintiffs [cannot be] subject[ed] to a different evidentiary burden than minority group plaintiffs” when bringing claims under Title VII. 605 U.S. __ (2025). The Court held that the Sixth Circuit had improperly applied a heightened evidentiary standard to the heterosexual female plaintiff's claim of sexual orientation discrimination. Although “reverse discrimination” claims are rare, the Ames  decision lessens the burden of plaintiffs alleging such discriminatory conduct.