The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a trio of closely watched job discrimination cases that could for the first time resolve at a national level whether lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees are entitled to the protections of Title VII. 

The trio of cases reflect the split among federal courts on this issue. Two federal appeals courts have ruled that employers violated Title VII by firing gay and transgender employees. A third federal appeals court held that civil rights laws do not cover sexual orientation. Oral argument at the Supreme Court most likely will be held in this fall with a decision expected to be issued in June 2020.