04/17/2024

SCOTUS Simplifies Filing of Workplace Discrimination Claims

The unanimous decision is a rarity for this partisan court

A unanimous Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) on Wednesday made it easier for workers to pursue employment discrimination claims over job transfers, siding with a female police sergeant in St. Louis who said she was reassigned to a less prestigious role because she is a woman.

Federal civil rights law prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics such as sex, race and religion. Congress passed Title VII to ensure equal employment opportunities and to eliminate discrimination in the workplace.

The issue for the justices was whether the statute guards against all discriminatory job transfers or requires an additional showing in court by the employee that the involuntary move caused a "significant disadvantage," such as harm to career prospects or a change in salary or rank.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.