Opinion of the Court in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services
Majority-Group Plaintiffs Do Not Have to Meet a Higher Legal Burden
Title VII prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Under our Title VII precedents, a plaintiff may make out a prima facie [accepted as correct until proven otherwise] case of disparate treatment by showing “that she applied for an available position for which she was qualified, but was rejected under circumstances which give rise to an inference of unlawful discrimination.” — Texas Dept. of Community Affairs v. Burdine (1981). The question in this case is whether, to satisfy that prima facie burden, a plaintiff who is a member of a…
