Discrimination

  • February 25, 2026

    Ousted Conn. Public Defender To Appeal Bias Suit Loss

    Connecticut's ousted chief public defender has indicated that she will seek to revive her recently dismissed discrimination lawsuit challenging her ejection from the role in 2024.

  • February 25, 2026

    Former Calif. Judge Can't Escape Sex Assault Case

    A former California Superior Court judge has lost his bid to toss five criminal counts alleging he sexually assaulted a court staffer and made false statements to investigators in an attempted cover-up.

  • February 25, 2026

    Calif. Legislator Pitches Bill To Tighten Background Checks

    A California legislator is seeking to strengthen the state's restrictions on criminal background checks for job applicants, proposing legislation that would require employers to document how a criminal conviction conflicts with specific job responsibilities before revoking an offer.

  • February 25, 2026

    Harvey Weinstein Swaps Attys As 3rd Rape Trial Looms

    Harvey Weinstein tapped a new attorney at Agnifilo Intrater for his third rape trial slated for next month, while the former Hollywood mogul's longtime defense team at Aidala Bertuna & Kamins said it will bow out.

  • February 24, 2026

    Munchkin Can't Arbitrate Ex-GC's 'War On Families' Suit

    Baby products brand Munchkin Inc. lost its bid to arbitrate its former general counsel's suit alleging he was fired for complaining about the company's "war on families," after a California judge ruled a sexual harassment claim added in an amended version of his suit exempted him from mandatory arbitration.

  • February 24, 2026

    UCLA Ignores 'Pervasive' Workplace Antisemitism, DOJ Says

    The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday accused the University of California, Los Angeles, of discriminating against its Jewish and Israeli employees by turning a blind eye to harassing conduct by other staffers and students in the wake of Hamas' October 2023 attack on Israel and subsequent pro-Palestine demonstrations.

  • February 24, 2026

    EEOC Accuses Hospice Provider Of Bias Against Black Nurse

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Tuesday accused a Michigan home hospice provider of discriminating against a Black nursing assistant by assigning her fewer hours and less plum assignments than her white colleagues.

  • February 24, 2026

    UPMC Physician Group Must Face Ex-Doc's Age Bias Claims

    A University of Pittsburgh Medical Center unit must face a jury in a former doctor's lawsuit claiming he was let go because he was in his 70s, a Pennsylvania federal judge said Monday, ruling a reasonable jury could find that administrators drummed up workplace issues as an excuse to force him out.

  • February 24, 2026

    EEOC Pay Bias Suit Against School District Cleared For Trial

    A New York federal judge declined to toss a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming a school district paid a female superintendent less than her male predecessors, after highlighting evidence that the female leader's benefits package and salary trailed her male counterparts.

  • February 24, 2026

    Nursing Home Settles EEOC Suit Alleging Ageist Harassment

    A New Mexico nursing care facility has agreed to pay $75,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit alleging a supervisor bullied older, Spanish-speaking workers and then sacked them for complaining, according to deal documents filed Tuesday.

  • February 24, 2026

    FTC Blasts NewsGuard's Bid To Block Investigation

    The Federal Trade Commission is pushing back on NewsGuard's bid to stop the agency's investigation into what it called digital advertising collusion, arguing that the news-rating organization cannot show the antitrust investigation is retaliatory and alleging the company mischaracterized FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson's remarks in its motion for a preliminary injunction.

  • February 24, 2026

    House Subcommittee Pushes For Expanded Paid Family Leave

    The current family leave options available to American workers might no longer be enough, and a tangible push to improve paid parental leave and to introduce federal leave benefits to level the field of paid leave is necessary, the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections said during a hearing Tuesday.

  • February 24, 2026

    Muslim Teacher Fired Over Religious Veil Wins $1.8M Verdict

    A Michigan federal jury said a nonprofit that assists Arab immigrants should pay a Muslim teacher $1.8 million for illegally firing her because she refused to remove a religious veil during classes, finding the employer failed to accommodate her religious beliefs.

  • February 24, 2026

    4th Circ. Upholds IHOP Franchisee's Win In Wage, Bias Suit

    The Fourth Circuit has affirmed a judgment in favor of a North Carolina IHOP franchisee in a former server's suit alleging sexual harassment, retaliation and minimum wage infractions, holding that her federal wage claim was time-barred and that she failed to show her firing for attendance violations was a pretext for discrimination.

  • February 24, 2026

    EEOC, PepsiCo Deal In Vision Bias Suit Fails To Pass Muster

    A North Carolina federal judge refused to greenlight a $270,000 settlement that would end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit accusing PepsiCo of unlawfully firing a blind employee, saying parts of the agreement are beyond the scope of the case.

  • February 24, 2026

    Tesla Gets Worker's Retaliation Suit Kicked To Arbitration

    A worker will have to arbitrate his claims that Tesla harassed him into resigning for complaining about alleged racial discrimination at the electric vehicle maker's Fremont, California, factory, a federal judge ruled, rejecting his argument that an arbitration pact he signed wasn't enforceable.

  • February 23, 2026

    Union's Case Cite Can't End NJ Bias Claim, Court Told

    New Jersey's acting attorney general told a state judge Friday that Ironworkers Local 11's bid to inject a new federal ruling into a discrimination case falls flat, arguing in a letter that the union's reliance on the decision misfires because the opinion doesn't address state law discrimination or alter the analysis set forth by applicable U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

  • February 23, 2026

    Fla. Biologist Fired Over Kirk Parody Seeks Reinstatement

    A biologist has asked a Florida federal court to restore her state agency position after she was fired for sharing a post making fun of Charlie Kirk on social media, arguing the First Amendment allows free speech on public topics that have nothing to do with her job.

  • February 23, 2026

    EEOC Decries New Hurdle For 3rd-Party Harassment Suits

    A recent appellate ruling making it tougher for workers to sue employers over alleged harassment by third parties threatens to undermine the goals of federal anti-bias law, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission told the Third Circuit, backing a suit against the University of Pennsylvania.

  • February 23, 2026

    Conn. Pizza Chain Settles Ex-Operations Chief's Bias Suit

    Frank Pepe's, a Connecticut-based pizza chain, has settled a federal lawsuit brought by its former director of operations for allegedly firing him because he is a middle-aged white man, court records show.

  • February 23, 2026

    4th Circ. Reverses $57K Atty Sanction In Engineer's Bias Suit

    The attorney representing an Arab American worker in a civil rights retaliation suit against an engineering firm had legitimate grounds for opposing the firm's motion for an early win, the Fourth Circuit has determined, scrapping a $57,015 sanction a federal district judge imposed for allegedly dragging out the case.

  • February 23, 2026

    Analyst Who Claimed She Was Fired For Needing Sleep Settles

    A New Jersey woman who claimed she was fired by Centerview Partners after disclosing she needed consistent sleep to manage a health disorder settled her case against the investment bank ahead of a jury trial in New York federal court, the bank said Monday.

  • February 23, 2026

    Ex-Stone Hilton Staffer Seeks Cruz Subpoena Denial Review

    A former employee of Stone Hilton PLLC has asked a Texas federal court to revisit a decision to quash a subpoena for information from Sen. Ted Cruz, saying a 2019 memo received two days after the ruling establishes that a claim of harassment was made against firm partner Judd Stone shortly before he quit working for the senator.

  • February 23, 2026

    Spencer Fane Adds Quarles & Brady Labor Practice Pro

    Missouri-headquartered Spencer Fane LLP has hired the former leader of Quarles & Brady LLP's Washington, D.C., labor and employment group as a partner who will work on defamation cases, class action matters and more, according to an announcement on Monday.

  • February 23, 2026

    Sunroom Co. Can't Avoid EEOC Sex Harassment Suit

    An Oklahoma federal judge declined to toss a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming the owner of a sunroom company sexually harassed female employees, calling the company's attacks on the veracity of the EEOC's allegations premature.

Expert Analysis

  • After Chevron: EEOC Status Quo Will Likely Continue

    Author Photo

    As the legal landscape adjusts to the end of Chevron deference, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s rulemaking authority isn’t likely to shift as much as some other employment-related agencies, says Paige Lyle at FordHarrison.

  • After Chevron: Various Paths For Labor And Employment Law

    Author Photo

    Labor and employment law leans heavily on federal agency guidance, so the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to toss out Chevron deference will ripple through this area, with future workplace policies possibly taking shape through strategic litigation, informal guidance, state-level regulation and more, says Alexander MacDonald at Littler.

  • FIFA Maternity Policy Shows Need For Federal Paid Leave

    Author Photo

    While FIFA and other employers taking steps to provide paid parental leave should be applauded, the U.S. deserves a red card for being the only rich nation in the world that offers no such leave, says Dacey Romberg at Sanford Heisler.

  • What 2 Rulings On Standing Mean For DEI Litigation

    Author Photo

    Recent federal court decisions in the Fearless Fund and Hello Alice cases shed new light on the ongoing wave of challenges to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, with opposite conclusions on whether the plaintiffs had standing to sue, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Eye On Compliance: A Brief History Of Joint Employer Rules

    Author Photo

    It's important to examine the journey of the joint employer rule, because if the National Labor Relations Board's Fifth Circuit appeal is successful and the 2023 version is made law, virtually every employer who contracts for labor likely could be deemed a joint employer, say Bruno Katz and Robert Curtis at Wilson Elser.

  • Top 5 Issues For Employers To Audit Midyear

    Author Photo

    Six months into 2024, developments from federal courts and regulatory agencies should prompt employers to reflect on their progress regarding artificial intelligence, noncompetes, diversity initiatives, religious accommodation and more, say Allegra Lawrence-Hardy and Lisa Haldar at Lawrence & Bundy.

  • Tailoring Compliance Before AI Walks The Runway

    Author Photo

    Fashion industry players that adopt artificial intelligence to propel their businesses forward should consider ways to minimize its perceived downsides, including potential job displacements and algorithmic biases that may harm diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, say Jeffrey Greene and Ivory Djahouri at Foley & Lardner.

  • Where Anti-Discrimination Law Stands 4 Years After Bostock

    Author Photo

    On the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Bostock ruling, Evan Parness and Abby Rickeman at Covington take stock of how the decision, which held that Title VII protects employees from discrimination because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, has affected anti-discrimination law at the state and federal levels.

  • Politics In The Workplace: What Employers Need To Know

    Author Photo

    As the 2024 election approaches and protests continue across the country, employers should be aware of employees' rights — and limits on those rights — related to political speech and activities in the workplace, and be prepared to act proactively to prevent issues before they arise, say attorneys at Littler.

  • What High Court Ruling Means For Sexual Harassment Claims

    Author Photo

    In its recent Smith v. Spizzirri decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a district court compelling a case to arbitration is obligated to stay the case rather than dismissing it, but this requirement may result in sexual harassment cases not being heard by appellate courts, says Abe Melamed at Signature Resolution.

  • 5 Steps For Gov't Contractor Affirmative Action Verification

    Author Photo

    As the federal contractor affirmative action program certification deadline approaches, government contractors and subcontractors should take steps to determine their program obligations, and ensure any required plans are properly implemented and timely registered, say Christopher Wilkinson at Perkins Coie and Joanna Colosimo at DCI Consulting.

  • New OSHA Memo Helps Clarify Recordkeeping Compliance

    Author Photo

    Based on recent Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidance on whether musculoskeletal disorders are recordable injuries under the agency's recordkeeping regulation, it appears that OSHA may target active release techniques and stretching programs during its inspections, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Cos. Must Stay On Alert With Joint Employer Rule In Flux

    Author Photo

    While employers may breathe a sigh of relief at recent events blocking the National Labor Relations Board's proposed rule that would make it easier for two entities to be deemed joint employers, the rule is not yet dead, say attorneys at ​​​​​​​Day Pitney.