united-states discrimination
Are Protected Classes Bi-directional?
<p>In the US, are protected classes "bidirectional"?</p>

<p>For example, it's illegal to discriminate against veterans. Does that also mean that it is illegal to discriminate against non-veterans? </p>

<p>In my state, lawful use of tobacco on your own time is a protected class. So I can't refuse to hire smokers. But what if I wanted to hire ONLY smokers?</p>

<p>Are there any protected classes that are one-sided?</p>

<p>Some are, some aren't. For instance, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits all employment discrimination on the basis of race, <a href="https://www1.eeoc.gov//eeoc/publications/fs-race.cfm?renderforprint=1" rel="noreferrer">including discrimination against whites</a>. On the other hand, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/631" rel="noreferrer">explicitly only protects people who are at least 40</a>, and the Supreme Court held that it only applies to discrimination against older workers in favor of younger workers in <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/540/581/" rel="noreferrer"><em>General Dynamics v. Cline</em></a>. While both laws forbid discrimination on the basis of X, the Supreme Court held that Congress clearly meant to limit ADEA to discrimination against older workers.</p>

<p>You specifically use veteran status as an example. Veteran status is protected by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/38/4301" rel="noreferrer">The point of the law is explicitly to make it easier for people to serve in uniform without messing up their career</a>. The law specifically bans discrimination <em>against</em> veterans (or a couple other service-related categories) on the basis of service. It does not ban discrimination in favor of veterans. In fact, the federal government (which is supposed to be a model employer under USERRA) gives veterans a preference in hiring decisions. Congress's goal in enacting Title VII was to make race a non-factor in employment; their goal with USERRA was to encourage military service.</p>
