On a big decision day, the Supreme Court sent a message abou

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On a big decision day, the Supreme Court sent a message about unity

Supreme Court justices sent a message to the American public on Thursday: We’re not as divided as you think.

Of the six rulings that were released, four were unanimous, including the opinions in high-profile battles over reverse discrimination and faith-based tax breaks.

Another decision was nearly unanimous, with just one justice peeling away on one part of the ruling.

And the sixth decision had just one dissent, meaning that nearly all of the justices agreed with the plan to dismiss the case as “improvidently granted.”

Here’s an overview of the six rulings released on Thursday — and a look at what’s still to come from the Supreme Court in June.

On reverse discrimination
Ruling: Unanimous

In Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, the court was considering whether members of a majority group, such as straight, white males, should have to meet a higher burden of proof in order to make an employment discrimination claim.

The case was brought by Marlean Ames, a straight, white woman, who accused her former employer of privileging LGBTQ employees during the promotion process.

Ames lost in front of lower courts, but the Supreme Court overturned those decisions on Thursday.

The justices unanimously said that members of majority groups should not have to meet a higher burden of proof and sent Ames’ case back to the lower courts for reconsideration.

The question in this case is whether ... a plaintiff who is a member of a majority group must also show ‘background circumstances to support the suspicion that the defendant is that unusual employer who discriminates against the majority.’ We hold that this additional ‘background circumstances’ requirement is not consistent with Title VII’s text or our case law construing the statute," Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in the opinion.

On the legal liability of gun makers
Ruling: Unanimous

In Smith & Wesson Brands v. Mexico, the court was asked to determine whether the Mexican government could sue seven gun manufacturers based in the U.S. over their role in unlawful gun sales in Mexico.

The Supreme Court unanimously said on Thursday that the Mexican government’s lawsuit cannot move forward “because Mexico’s complaint does not plausibly allege that the defendant gun manufacturers aided and abetted gun dealers’ unlawful sales of firearms to Mexican traffickers.”

“We have little doubt that, as the complaint asserts, some such sales take place — and that the manufacturers know they do. But still, Mexico has not adequately pleaded what it needs to: that the manufacturers ‘participate in’ those sales ‘as in something that (they) wish to bring about,’“ Justice Elena Kagan wrote in the opinion.

On religious exemptions
Ruling: Unanimous

In Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether the state of Wisconsin was violating the First Amendment’s religious freedom protections by denying a faith-based tax break to a group of Catholic nonprofits.

The nonprofits said their service to people in need was clearly motivated by Catholic teachings, but Wisconsin officials said they didn’t qualify for the religious exemption to the state’s unemployment tax because they did not seek to serve only Catholics or evangelize to their clients, as the Deseret News previously reported.

State officials won in front of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which said that the Catholic nonprofits’ work did not serve “primarily religious purposes.”

In Thursday’s unanimous decision, the Supreme Court reversed that decision, ruling that Wisconsin was violating the First Amendment by privileging certain religious beliefs and actions over others.

“It is fundamental to our constitutional order that the government maintain ‘neutrality between religion and religion.’ There may be hard calls to make in policing that rule, but this is not one,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in the opinion.

On jurisdiction over a foreign state
Ruling: Unanimous

In CC/Devas (Mauritius) v. Antrix, the justices were considering under what circumstances federal courts in the U.S. can assert jurisdiction over foreign states.

The case stemmed from a conflict between a company that’s active in the U.S. and a corporation owned by India.

The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously ruled that federal courts did have jurisdiction over India in this dispute and reversed a decision from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Justice Samuel Alito wrote the opinion.

On reopening lawsuits
Ruling: Nearly unanimous, with one justice taking issue with one part of the majority opinion.

In Blom Bank v. Honickman, the court was considering whether victims of terrorist attacks or their surviving family members could reopen their case against a bank that had allegedly aided and abetted terrorists by providing financial services.

The Supreme Court ruled that the people who brought the case did not meet the high standard that must be cleared to reopen the case.

The majority opinion, authored by Justice Clarence Thomas, was nearly unanimous. Eight of the justices, including Thomas, joined it in full, but Jackson only joined it in part.

On class action lawsuits
Ruling: Dismissed as improvidently granted, with one justice dissenting to the dismissal

In Lab Corp v. Davis, the justices were considering whether a federal court can certify a class action suit if some of the parties in the suit lack legal standing.

A majority of the justices decided to dismiss the case as improvidently granted, meaning that they felt the court should never have agreed to weigh in.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh dissented to that decision, writing that he felt it was possible — and would be valuable — to rule on the case.

What’s next?
The Supreme Court will release around two dozen more rulings throughout the month of June as it works to wrap up its 2024-25 term by early July.

The justices have yet to announce their decision in four of the five cases that the Deseret News highlighted in its list of this term’s highest profile battles.

The Supreme Court’s next decision day will be Thursday, June 12.

[Zephyrca]

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