Seyfarth Synopsis: On October 5, 2017, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued an agency memorandum stating that the language contained in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, “does not prohibit discrimination based on gender identity per se, including transgender status.” It represented a head-snapping pivot of the position of the U.S. Department of Justice. In this video, Jerry Maatman of Seyfarth Shaw, LLP gives blog readers an overview of the recent history regarding legal interpretation of Title VII. Jerry discusses potentially conflicting statutes and court rulings, as well as the ways in which this Department of Justice memorandum could affect businesses and those who litigate under Title VII.

See the video here.

Summary

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 has been a prevalent federal statute since its passage over 50 years ago. Therefore, it is an especially important statute to understand for nearly every employer. During the Obama Administration, Attorney General Eric Holder stated in a 2014 memorandum that the Department of Justice does, in fact, apply the concept of sex discrimination in the workplace to transgender workers. However, Congress has rejected all attempts thus far to amend Title VII. To that end, the language of the law leaves legal interpretation open for debate.

The EEOC’s current view of Title VII is that it includes protections for transgender workers. In addition, 20 states and the District of Columbia include both sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories under their discrimination statutes. The recent statement by the Department of Justice has renewed the widespread debate over the definition of sex discrimination, a dispute which we suspect will not end any time soon. Make sure to stay tuned to our blog and Twitter account for updates and insights on this important legal issue!