---
title: "Majority Group Has Same Right to Sue as Minority Groups"
description: ""
url: "https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters/majority-minority-rights-sue"
date: "2026-05-30T13:05:52+00:00"
language: "en-US"
---

#  A Court Rules That a Majority Group Has Same Rights to Sue as Minority Groups

Written on July 07, 2025.

*Tag(s):* [SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States)](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_tags&view=tag&id%5B0%5D=59:scotus), [July 2025 Newsletter](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_tags&view=tag&id%5B0%5D=192:july-2025-newsletter)

The normal issue in a disparate treatment discrimination case is whether “the defendant intentionally discriminated against the plaintiff.” Usually, the plaintiff in these cases is some type of “minority,” but many courts began to apply the concept that when members of a majority group sue, they must show “background circumstances to support the suspicion that the defendant is that unusual employer who discriminates against the majority.”

This year the appropriateness of this standard came before the Supreme Court in the case of a “straight” person who was denied a promotion and subsequently demoted over certain persons who were “gay.” The plaintiff sued contending she was discriminated against because of her sexual orientation of being straight. Ames v. Ohio Dept. Of Youth Services, No. 23-1039 (June 5, 2025).

The Supreme Court rejected the concept that the standards of proving discrimination vary depending on whether one is a member of a “majority” or a “minority” group. The Court unanimously ruled 9-0 on this issue. The Court stated that, “Title VII’s disparate-treatment provision draws no distinctions between majority-group plaintiffs and minority-group plaintiffs. Further, the discrimination test applied to ‘any individual.’ By establishing the same protections for every ‘individual’ - without regard to that individual’s membership in a minority or majority group - Congress left no room for courts to impose special requirements on majority-group plaintiffs alone.”

> *Editor’s Note: While it was not mentioned in the Court’s ruling, this writer notes some similarities in its rationale to DEI issues, compared to the High Court’s previous ruling in the Harvard case. These two cases read together emphasize that an individual is protected against discrimination the same way whether they are a minority or not.*

This article is part of our July 2025 Newsletter.

[View the newsletter online](https://wimlaw.com/tags/july-2025-newsletter)[
  ](https://wimlaw.com/contact)[Download the newsletter as a PDF](https://wimlaw.com/images/2025/07/2025-07-newsletter.pdf)

- [](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Fpublications%2Fnewsletters%2Fmajority-minority-rights-sue.md&text=)
- [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Fpublications%2Fnewsletters%2Fmajority-minority-rights-sue.md)
- [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Fpublications%2Fnewsletters%2Fmajority-minority-rights-sue.md)
- [](mailto:?subject=A%20Court%20Rules%20That%20a%20Majority%20Group%20Has%20Same%20Rights%20to%20Sue%20as%20Minority%20Groups)

##  Related Content

[ ![dc](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/cf/march-2026-webinar-cf9643db.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1562:reining-state-scotus-employers&catid=221)

###  [Reining In the Administrative State: What the Supreme Court Has Been Up To, and Why it Matters for Employers](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1562:reining-state-scotus-employers&catid=221)

[Webinars: Employment Law "Hot Topics"](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=221)

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1562:reining-state-scotus-employers&catid=221)

[ ![religuous symbols](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/f3/WimLaw-Webinar-Promo-Slide-f39502ad.png) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1538:religious-accommodation-hardship-eeoc&catid=221)

###  [Resolving Conflict Between Religious Expression and the Civil Rights of Others](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1538:religious-accommodation-hardship-eeoc&catid=221)

[Webinars: Employment Law "Hot Topics"](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=221)

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1538:religious-accommodation-hardship-eeoc&catid=221)

[ ![stop sign, outdoors](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/f9/joshua-hoehne-WPrTKRw8KRQ-unsplash-f9fd8834.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1517:court-injunctions-nlrb&catid=53)

###  [Fifth Circuit Federal Court Has Upheld Injunctions against NLRB Proceedings](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1517:court-injunctions-nlrb&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1517:court-injunctions-nlrb&catid=53)

##  Get Email Updates

Receive newsletters and alerts directly in your email inbox. Sign up below.

##  Recent Content

 [ Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

 [ ![ai, human reach out](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/f1/igor-omilaev-FHgWFzDDAOs-unsplash-f12346e8.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53)###  [FCRA Litigation Challenges Employers’ Use of AI Hiring Platforms](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

A January 20, 2026, class action filed against Eightfold AI, Inc. in California is sending shockwaves through the employer and AI community…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1582:fcra-litigation-challenges-employers-ai-hiring&catid=53)

 [ ![danger sign, skull](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/01/mikael-seegen-jX6WXNkvsPs-unsplash-01c1ebef.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53)###  [The Dangers of Employers Using AI Research Tools as to Discovery Requests from Plaintiffs](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

A second “bombshell” affecting HR pertaining to AI is a federal court ruling in New York, that a defendant’s use of AI in researching and p…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1584:ai-research-discovery-requests-dangers&catid=53)

 [ ![CHAT GPT](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/64/emiliano-vittoriosi-fvxNerA8uk0-unsplash-64a16be4.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53)###  [Two Subsequent Cases Protect Defendant’s Use of AI as Subject to Work-product Protection](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

Soon after the deciding of the above-discussed case on February 17, 2026, in U.S. v. Heppner, a criminal case in the District Court for the…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1585:ai-employer-protection&catid=53)

 [ ![avoid, wave away](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/6f/priscilla-du-preez-NQTphr4Pr60-unsplash-6fb4df83.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53)###  [Is There Anything an Employer Can Do to Avoid Waiving Privileges in Using AI Research Tools?](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

There are no easy answers to the above question, but some general observations will nevertheless be made. First, the New York district cou…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1586:employer-avoid-waiving-privileges-ai-research&catid=53)

 [ ![ai visualization](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/45/milad-fakurian-5yWtM3M3JKM-unsplash-45306e6d.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53)###  [Suggestions on Use of AI](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53)

[Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53)

Perhaps the starting point is to look at the type of AI platforms generally available. At a recent conference about AI use for HR, speaker…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1587:ai-legal-recommendations&catid=53)

 [ ![june 2026 legal immigration webinar promo graphic](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/45/june-2026-webinar-immigration-453d45bc.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221)###  [Worksite Enforcement and TPS and Parole Status Update](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221)

[Webinars: Employment Law "Hot Topics"](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=221)

The webinar will cover how to deal with a worksite enforcement action and various types of immigration enforcement activities. The webinar…

[Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1583:worksite-enforcement-tps-parole&catid=221)

### Additional Legal Resources

[### Newsletter

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters)

[### Books

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/publications/books)

[### Alerts

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/alerts)

[### Articles

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/articles)

[### Audits

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/audits)

[### Events

Explore

 ](https://wimlaw.com/events)

## Schema

```json
{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://wimlaw.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Publications", "item": "https://wimlaw.com/publications" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Newsletters", "item": "https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A Court Rules That a Majority Group Has Same Rights to Sue as Minority Groups", "item": "https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters/majority-minority-rights-sue" } ] }
```