{"argument_date":"2006-04-17T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2006-04-17T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2005","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Phillips argued that the jury instructions did not apply the correct legal standard for retaliation.","Mr. Donati argued that reassigning and suspending White without pay constituted discrimination.","Justice Breyer asked if excluding a woman from a key meeting could harm her career and count as a violation."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 19-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 19-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 31-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 31-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 3-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 3-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 33-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 33-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 1-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 12, lines 1-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 3-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 3-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 37, lines 13-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 37, lines 13-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 27-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 31-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 31-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 11-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 11-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 39-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 39-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 41-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 31-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 31-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 41-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 41-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 13-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 13-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 43-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 43-47"}]}],"caption":"Burlington N. & S. F. R. Co. v. White","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:28.391811Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:28.420623Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Burlington Northern argues that minor workplace reassignments do not constitute actionable retaliation. White contends that such actions violate federal anti-discrimination laws.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 3-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 3-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 37, lines 13-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 37, lines 13-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 27-29"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2006-04-17T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2005","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/05-259.html","primary_docket":"05-259","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T13:35:47.950422Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":1},{"correction_note":"Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.","created_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":2}],"schema_version":"1.1","sections":[{"heading":"What this case is about","paragraphs":["The case centers on whether federal law protects employees from non-economic workplace mistreatment after filing discrimination charges. The dispute involves the scope of retaliation claims under Title VII."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 3-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 3-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 37, lines 13-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 37, lines 13-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 27-29"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on April 17, 2006."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 31-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 31-35"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Burlington Northern wants the Court to limit retaliation claims to tangible economic losses.","White wants the Court to recognize non-economic workplace mistreatment as actionable retaliation."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 3-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 3-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 37, lines 13-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 37, lines 13-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 27-29"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Burlington Northern argues that minor reassignments and suspensions do not meet the legal threshold for retaliation.","White argues that excluding an employee from work activities after a charge constitutes illegal retaliation."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 3-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 3-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 37, lines 13-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 37, lines 13-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 27-29"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice Kennedy asked if excluding an employee from a specific role for a year counts as retaliation.","Justice Ginsburg asked if excluding an employee from a weekly lunch meeting constitutes retaliation under the current definition."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 19-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 19-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 31-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 31-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 3-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 3-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 33-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 33-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 1-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 12, lines 1-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 31-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 31-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 11-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 11-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 39-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 39-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 41-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 31-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 31-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 41-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 41-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 13-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 13-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 43-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 43-47"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["The outcome defines the scope of federal protections for employees who report discrimination. It determines whether employers can impose non-economic penalties without legal consequence. This standard affects workplace conduct and employee rights nationwide."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 3-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 3-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 37, lines 13-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 37, lines 13-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 27-29"}]},{"heading":"What happens next","paragraphs":["This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 19-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 19-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 31-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 31-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 3-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 3-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 33-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 33-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 1-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 12, lines 1-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 31-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 31-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 11-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 11-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 39-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 39-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 41-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 31-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 31-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 41-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 41-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 13-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 13-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 43-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 43-47"}]}],"slug":"2005-05-259-burlington-n-s-f-r-co-v-white","term":"2005","title":"Does a Title VII retaliation claim require tangible economic harm?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 3-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 3-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 37, lines 13-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 37, lines 13-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2005/05-259.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 27-29"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}