Employers May Not Discriminate against Employees Due to Their Sexual Orientation

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reached a settlement agreement with a company to resolve a charge of discrimination in which the employee had claimed that the company discriminated against him because of his sexual orientation.  The employee alleged that Resource Environment Services subjected him to a hostile work environment and then refused to return him to work because of his sexual orientation.  This alleged conduct is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from discriminating against employees due to their sexual orientation.  The U.S. Supreme Court recently recognized sexual orientation discrimination as a protected class pursuant to Title VII.  The EEOC and the employer reached a settlement agreement through the EEOC's conciliation process.  See https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-and-resourceful-environmental-services-agree-conciliate-sexual-orientation-charge.