The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously ruled for a White, heterosexual woman who filed a reverse discrimination case against her employer after she was twice demoted and replaced by LGBTQ co-workers.

In the unanimous opinion, the justices said the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which had sided with the employer, applied the wrong analysis when weighing Marlean Ames’ discrimination claim.

The court weighed whether majority — typically, White — plaintiffs should face a higher burden when they try to lodge a discrimination claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Title VII bans employers from discriminating on the “basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.”

“By establishing the same protections for every ’individual’ — without regard to that individual’s membership in a minority or majority group — Congress left no room for courts to impose special requirements on majority-group plaintiffs alone,” wrote Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson for the court.

Ms. Ames had filed her complaint against the Ohio Department of Youth Services, which she said discriminated against her because she’s White and straight.

She started at the department in 2004 as an executive secretary and earned several promotions while receiving positive evaluations.

When she applied to be bureau chief, she was interviewed by her gay supervisor and didn’t get the job. Instead, it was filled by a woman with less experience who was also gay.

Ms. Ames was then told she would have to take a demotion or quit. She chose the demotion and was later replaced by a gay man.

The case is Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services.

• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.