Sharon, a white female, and James, a black male, who work at the New Things Mart as cashiers decide to steal some bottles of beer. Sharon watches the front of the store, while James loads the beer into his truck from the store’s inventory room. Neither of them was aware of the security cameras in the store. The owner, being notified of the theft by the security guard, terminates Sharon and gives James a written warning. Which of the following holds true in this scenario?

A) Sharon has no cause of action because she is an at-will employee.

B) Sharon has no cause of action because she does not belong to a protected class.

C) Sharon has a cause of action under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 because the act applies equally to all.

D) Sharon has a cause of action under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for retaliatory discharge.