Legal Definitions - Reverse discrimination

Reverse discrimination

Reverse discrimination is when a person who is not a member of a minority group claims that they have been discriminated against by someone, such as an employer, who is a member of a minority group.

Example 1: A white person applies for a job and is not hired because the employer wants to hire a person of color to increase diversity in the workplace. The white person claims that they were discriminated against because of their race.

Example 2: A man applies for a promotion at work but is passed over in favor of a woman because the company wants to increase the number of women in leadership positions. The man claims that he was discriminated against because of his gender.

These examples illustrate reverse discrimination because in both cases, the person who is not a member of a minority group (white person and man) is claiming that they were discriminated against by someone who is a member of a minority group (employer who wants to increase diversity and promote women). Reverse discrimination is controversial because some people believe that it is not possible for a member of a minority group to discriminate against someone who is not a member of a minority group. However, others argue that any form of discrimination is wrong, regardless of who is doing it.