Federal court: 1964 Civil Rights Act bars discrimination on basis of sexual orientation
April 06, 2017
In an 8-3 decision, the US 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, by prohibiting discrimination in employment on the basis of sex, also prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Dissenting from the majority opinion, Judge Diane Sykes said that the court’s ruling is not “faithful to the statutory text, read fairly, as a reasonable person would have understood it when it was adopted. The result is a statutory amendment courtesy of unelected judges.”
Differing federal court rulings in recent months increase the likelihood that the issue will eventually be decided by the Supreme Court.
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Further information:
- 7th Circuit En Banc: Title VII Bars Sexual Orientation Discrimination (Religion Clause)
- Federal court: 1964 Civil Rights Act does not bar discrimination on basis of sexual orientation (CWN, 3/15)
- Federal court: 1964 Civil Rights Act bars discrimination on basis of sexual orientation (CWN, 11/16/16)
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