A straight, White person sued for discrimination. Her case is before the Supreme Court.

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🗓️ 25 February 2025

⏱️ 23 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Host Martine Powers speaks with Supreme Court reporter Justin Jouvenal about Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, which will be heard before the country’s highest court on Wednesday.

Ames and her attorneys say she was held back at her job because she is straight and White. Her case was rejected by lower courts, in part because reverse discrimination claims require a higher burden of proof than anti-minority discrimination in many parts of the country. But Ames’s attorneys argue that this double standard is unconstitutional. And many legal experts say the Supreme Court is poised to agree. They expect that if the court sides with Ames, it could lead to an increase in the number of discrimination lawsuits filed by straight people, White people and men. The decision may also have a chilling effect on corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.

Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Peter Bresnan and mixed by Sam Bair.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Just sort of start at the beginning and talk about how, you know, what your interest was
0:05.9	in working at the Ohio Department of Value Services and how you got into that line of work.
0:10.4	And I don't know.
0:12.4	I mean, I have a screening criminal justice.
0:14.2	Uh-huh.
0:15.2	Did you have a particular interest in working with kids or anything like that?
0:18.7	Or?
0:19.7	No necessarily.
0:20.7	Uh-huh.
0:24.1	There's a case coming before the Supreme Court tomorrow.
0:28.4	It's called Ames v. the Ohio Department of Youth Services.
0:34.2	Washington Post Supreme Court reporter Justin Juvenile recently interviewed the woman bringing the suit.
0:36.5	Her name is Marlene Ames.
0:39.6	He went to her lawyer's office in Akron, Ohio.
0:42.1	They chatted in an equi conference room.
0:44.1	What's the best outcome for you?
0:47.6	What would you like to see happen ultimately with this case?
0:53.6	I would like to see everybody have a fair shake.
0:58.4	Marlene says she was the target of reverse discrimination.
1:06.4	In other words, she believes that she was held back at her job because she is straight and white.
1:09.9	She believes that her gay colleagues were shown favoritism.
1:12.4	And so, she decided to sue.
	...

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