Supreme Court Rules Today that Civil Rights Law Protects Gay and Transgender Workers
The United States Supreme Court ruled today that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects gay and transgender workers, giving a major victory to the L.G.B.T. movement. The vote was 6 to 3, with Justice Neil M. Gorsuch writing the majority opinion. He was joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
The court’s decision covered three cases which focused closely on the text of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars discrimination by employers “because of … sex.” Two cases— Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, and Altitude Express v. Zarda—raised the question of sexual orientation under Title VII. R.G. and G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Stephens centered on gender identity. The question presented to the justices was whether discrimination “because of sex”— applies to many millions of gay and transgender workers. The court correctly ruled that Title VII does protect the rights of gay and transgender workers. A link to the 172-page decision can be found here.
As civil rights attorneys, our firm has received countless complaints and heard horrendous stories about discrimination and harassment against gay and transgender workers. We have had to turn down cases and unfortunately had some cases dismissed because of how the laws have been applied in the past. Today’s ruling is a small step forward in protecting the civil rights of all.
Sex/gender discrimination is not the only type of discrimination that happens in the workplace. Oftentimes, it will be accompanied by other forms of illegal discrimination such as age, race, or disability. If you or a loved one believe you are being treated unfairly by your employer for any one of these reasons, please call our law firm at 614-636-3476 for a consultation.
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Disclaimer: The materials available on this page are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. If you still have questions about an employment-related discrimination matter, it would be best for you to contact an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any issue or problem. Use and access to this website or any of the links contained within the site does not create an attorney-client relationship.
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Walton + Brown, LLP takes pride in having a successful serious personal injury and civil rights practice, unafraid to step into a courtroom and litigate cases to the fullest extent necessary. With over 450 lawsuits filed and over $18 million in settlements or verdicts won for our clients, Sean and Chanda bring a record of success. Sean and Chanda have been awarded Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 designations as trial attorneys.
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