S1 E24: Title VII Prohibits Discrimination in the Workplace with Maggie Spell of Jones Walker LLP

Amidst all the tumultuous news of 2020, Civil Rights has landed a major victory.

Today, Maggie Spell, Partner at Jones Walker LLP, talks with Eric about the transformation decision the Supreme Court made this past June. 

Our guest tells the story of three cases of workplace discrimination, where employees were fired because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. The firings were all upheld by federal circuit courts, based on a strict reading of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. 

Yet they were all simultaneously challenged before the Supreme Court and ultimately overturned, providing a 2020 update to the 1964 law that says – Workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, though not specifically worded in the original law, is still illegal discrimination.

Episode highlights:

Maggie Spell tells us how these cases came to be, why they were first upheld and then overturned by the Supreme Court.We hear a hypothetical example that clarifies why the three cases should be fundamentally considered sex discrimination.We learn why it’s a great time for employers to update policies and training protocols.

“It’s a really big decision. The Supreme Court made clear that discrimination based on sex encompasses discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.” 
     —Maggie Spell

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Maggie Spellis an attorney and partner at the labor employment practice group Jones Walker LLC. Maggie has a deep background in local, state, and federal employment laws. She offers day-to-day advice to employers on workplace issues and helps resolve workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation cases.