Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it unlawful for employers subject to the Act to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin or other protected classes. However, for many years, the Act has been interpreted to exclude sex discrimination on the basis of someone’s sexual orientation.
Earlier this month, April 4, 2017, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a landmark decision in Hively v. Ivy Tech that sexual orientation discrimination is in fact sex discrimination and therefore is prohibited by law.
It is hard to overstate the significance of the decision. The 7th Circuit is the highest court to hold that sexual orientation discrimination is sex discrimination prohibited under Title VII, and the decision will most certainly influence future cases that come before other Circuits. Barring a consensus or an act of Congress, the issue may eventually land in the U.S. Supreme Court where many hope to see protections for the LGBT community in the workplace supported.
Contact an Iowa Sex Discrimination Lawyer
If you have been harassed or discriminated against on the job on the basis of sex, sexual orientation or on the basis of race, national origin, age or disability, contact the Iowa Sex Discrimination Lawyers of McDonald, Woodward & Carlson, PC for help. Our workplace discrimination lawyers stand up for Iowa workers who are treated unfairly and illegally in the workplace. Call our employment law offices today at 563-355-6478.