Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia facts for kids

Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia was a very important case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. In this case, the Court said that a law called Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects people from being treated unfairly at work because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This means employers cannot fire or refuse to hire someone based on these reasons.

What Was the Bostock Case About?

This case was about a man named Gerald Bostock. He worked for Clayton County, Georgia. Mr. Bostock was fired from his job after he joined a gay baseball league. He felt he was fired because of his sexual orientation.

Before this Supreme Court case, some lower courts had different ideas. They had previously said that Title VII did not protect people from being fired because of their sexual orientation. Mr. Bostock's case went all the way to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court's Big Decision

The Supreme Court made its decision on June 15, 2020. The Court ruled 6 to 3 that treating someone unfairly because of their sexual orientation or gender identity is a type of "sex" discrimination. This means it is against the law, according to Title VII. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the main opinion for the Court. This decision was a big step for equal rights in the workplace across the United States.

Images for kids

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  Gerald Bostock at the Supreme Court on October 8, 2019

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  Justice Neil Gorsuch delivered the opinion of the Court