WASHINGTON, DC - After the U.S. Supreme Court issued decisions in the cases of Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, Vance v. Ball State University and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center v. Nassar, Mary Kay Henry, International President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), issued the following statement:

The U.S. Supreme Court decision today in the Fisher case preserves the ability of colleges and universities to use affirmative action to ensure diversity among their student bodies. Despite the Court's emphasis that schools are subject to 'strict scrutiny' by the courts, this ruling is a win for inclusiveness and diversity in higher education. Greater diversity in higher education only benefits our nation and prepares our students for the 21st century workforce. Schools should instill in students the values upon which our society rests and to allow them to realize their full potential, something that cannot be fulfilled without racially-diverse classrooms.

"The Court also two issued decisions that are direct assaults on workers' rights.

"The Vance decision will be harmful to workers trying to hold their employers responsible for racial or sexual harassment in the workplace. The Court wrongly limited who could be held responsible for harassment, allowing lower-level supervisors to continue discriminatory behavior and leaving workers with no recourse to seek justice.

"Similarly, the Nassar decision is a blow to workers' rights on the job. The decision restricts a worker's ability to seek justice when retaliated against for complaining about employment discrimination. The decision puts an unreasonable, higher burden of proof on the employee to prove retaliation by their employer, and will chill workers' willingness to speak up about discrimination on the job.

"As Justice Ginsburg said in her dissents in these two cases, Congress should act to amend Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to restore the legal protections that workers deserve on the job."

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