In the News: Cara Crotty Quoted in North and South Carolina Lawyers Weekly on Supreme Court’s Ames Ruling
Cara Crotty, Constangy partner and co-chair of the firm's EEO/Contractor Compliance, Reporting, & Analytics and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion practice groups, was recently quoted in North and South Carolina Lawyers Weekly. The article examines the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, which struck down the “background circumstances” rule that had required majority-group plaintiffs to meet a higher bar in discrimination cases.
Crotty noted that the decision was expected. “It just seemed clear from the text of Title VII that this would be the correct decision,” she said. “I’ve always viewed the extra background circumstances rule as questionable because there was no basis in Title VII to support that.”
Looking ahead, Crotty pointed out that while the Court’s opinion could influence how discrimination claims are litigated, the long-term impact remains uncertain. “I think plaintiff lawyers will try to argue that elimination of the McDonnell Douglas standard will give them some more flexibility,” she said. But, “I think it remains to be seen how that will play out in terms of whether or not more cases end up going to trial.”
To read the full article in North and South Carolina Lawyers Weekly, click here.
Cara Crotty is a partner in Constangy’s Columbia, South Carolina office and co-chairs the firm’s EEO/Contractor Compliance, Reporting, & Analytics and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion practice groups. She advises employers on compliance, litigation avoidance, and pay equity, and represents federal contractors in affirmative action obligations and compliance reviews. Cara is a frequent speaker and trainer on these topics and previously served as an Attorney-Advisor with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Administrative Law Judges.
