Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against any individual based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. But does that protection apply equally to white, male, or heterosexual employees? Or should they have to clear a higher bar to prove discrimination? On June 5, 2025, the United States Supreme Court answered with a unanimous “no” in its decision in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services. Ames eliminates the “background circumstances” rule, which mandated that majority-group plaintiffs in Title VII discrimination cases provide additional evidence suggesting that the employer was the “unusual” type that discriminates against the majority.

The case involved Marlean Ames, a heterosexual employee, who alleged that the Ohio Departmen

See Full Page