At a Glance
Date Filed:
Current Status
On June 15, 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that Title VII applies to LGBTQIA+ people and prohibits employment discrimination against them. The Center for Constitutional Rights and co-counsel had filed an amicus brief in support of Aimee Stephens with over 45 signatories on July 3, 2019.
Our Team:
- Chinyere Ezie
Co-Counsel
Transgender Law Center
Akerman LLP
Case Description
The Center for Constitutional Rights and the Transgender Law Center filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court on behalf of more than 45 non-profit and grassroots organizations dedicated to eradicating discrimination against transgender individuals. The brief voices support for plaintiff Aimee Stephens, a woman from Michigan who was fired from her job as a funeral home director for being transgender. In this critical civil rights case, the Supreme Court will decide whether the Civil Rights Act of 1964 guarantees protections against workplace discrimination for the 1.4 million transgender people living in the United States. This case hinges on the Court’s interpretation of Title VII of the landmark act, which prohibits discrimination “because of … sex.”
By elevating the voices of more than 30 transgender people who, like Ms. Stephens, have experienced workplace discrimination firsthand, the brief explains to the Court that discrimination against transgender people is always "because of sex" and grounded in sex stereotypes. The brief also illustrates for the Court that transgender people face poverty, homelessness, and criminalization when they are turned away from jobs without legal recourse.
Along with the Center for Constitutional Rights and the Transgender Law Center, the following organizations signed on to the brief:
