Discrimination

  • March 04, 2026

    6th Circ. Backs Tenn. Med School In FMLA Retaliation Suit

    A former medical resident cannot revive his lawsuit claiming a Tennessee medical school suspended him for taking leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Sixth Circuit ruled this week, finding he failed to show the school's explanation for the discipline was a pretext for retaliation.

  • March 04, 2026

    Texas Law Firm Settles Ex-Worker's Sexual Harassment Suit

    A Houston personal injury law firm has resolved a former employee's lawsuit claiming the firm's founder repeatedly made sexual comments and unwanted advances toward her that eventually forced her to quit, according to filings in Texas federal court.

  • March 04, 2026

    7th. Circ. Upholds Healthcare Co.'s Win In FMLA Suit

    The Seventh Circuit affirmed a healthcare company's win in a former human resources specialist's Family and Medical Leave Act suit, holding that the health system lawfully terminated her for failing to return to work once her approved leave expired.

  • March 04, 2026

    Ex-EEOC Officials Tell Cos. Law 'Has Not Changed' On DEI

    A group of former top officials at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and U.S. Department of Labor urged America's largest employers Wednesday not to ditch diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, saying that EEOC communications discouraging these efforts don't paint a full legal picture.

  • March 04, 2026

    Weinstein's 3rd NY Rape Trial Bumped To April

    A New York state judge on Wednesday set an April 14 date for Harvey Weinstein's third rape trial after a last-minute defense attorney swap.

  • March 04, 2026

    Workers Challenging Trump DEI Firings Seek Class Status

    Former federal workers who claimed they were illegally fired after President Donald Trump ordered the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion positions in the government urged a D.C. federal judge to award them class certification, arguing the firings impacted thousands of employees.

  • March 04, 2026

    More DLA Piper Employment Attorneys Join Vartabedian Katz

    Vartabedian Katz Hester & Haynes LLP has continued to expand a labor and employment practice the firm launched last month with two former DLA Piper partners, adding another partner and two senior associates from DLA Piper.

  • March 03, 2026

    Inova Defeats Nurses' COVID Vax Bias Suits At 4th Circ.

    The Fourth Circuit refused Tuesday to revive suits from nurse anesthetists who said they faced religious and disability discrimination when they were fired for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19, ruling that nonprofit healthcare provider Inova wasn't their employer.

  • March 03, 2026

    NC Town Must Face Firefighter's Retaliation, Free Speech Suit

    A former part-time fire chief who accused a North Carolina town of terminating him after he sought to improve firefighter pay and benefits can proceed with his retaliation lawsuit, as a North Carolina federal court said it's too early to know if his ex-employer is immune from the suit.

  • March 03, 2026

    6th Circ. Says Fired Opera Singer's UMich Suit Came Too Late

    The Sixth Circuit declined Tuesday to revive a lawsuit against the University of Michigan claiming the school unfairly sacked a star opera singer after allegations surfaced that he and his husband had sexually assaulted another singer years before.

  • March 03, 2026

    McDermott Must Trim 'Vastly Overbroad' Subpoena In Atty Suit

    A Black attorney who is suing McDermott Will & Schulte LLP for racial bias secured a court order Tuesday quashing the law firm's subpoena for some of her previous employment records, as a federal judge called the request "vastly overbroad" and directed the firm to narrow it.

  • March 03, 2026

    Commanders Settle With DC AG Over Workplace Allegations

    The Washington Commanders will pay $1 million to settle a 2022 lawsuit from the Washington, D.C., attorney general alleging that the team violated the city's consumer protection laws when it misled residents about its internal investigation into sexual assault claims under former owner Dan Snyder.

  • March 03, 2026

    4th Circ. Backs Toss Of Ex-Air Marshal's Disability Bias Suit

    The Fourth Circuit backed the dismissal Tuesday of an ex-air marshal's disability bias suit claiming the government made her transfer positions instead of accommodating her vision condition, ruling her case falls flat because her medical issues prevented her from flying — a core duty of her role.

  • March 03, 2026

    EEOC, Health Co. Reach Accord In Pregnancy Bias Suit

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and an infusion therapy provider have reached a tentative deal to end the agency's suit accusing the company of unlawfully refusing a pregnant nurse's requests for shorter commutes, according to a filing Tuesday in Massachusetts federal court.

  • March 03, 2026

    Housing Worker Blocked From Reinstating Claims After Trial

    A former coordinator for Charlotte's public housing authority can't reinstate retaliation and punitive damages claims that were thrown out before her hostile work environment trial, a North Carolina federal judge ruled, saying that the motion was misguided and that she could have uncovered the supposedly new evidence beforehand.

  • March 03, 2026

    Limo Co. To Pay $95K To End EEOC Sex Harassment Probe

    A Kentucky transportation company has agreed to pay $95,000 after a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation found support for claims that it ignored a male employee's sexual harassment of female workers, the agency said Tuesday.

  • March 02, 2026

    Worker's Heart Issues Can't Save Vax Bias Suit, 5th Circ. Says

    The Fifth Circuit declined to revive a worker's bias suit claiming he was forced out of an oil and gas services company because his heart condition prevented him from complying with its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, ruling his case falls flat because his heart issues don't amount to a disability.

  • March 02, 2026

    Ex-Chipotle Worker Can't Rebut Roach Rationale In Firing Suit

    The Tenth Circuit on Monday refused to reopen a former Chipotle manager's lawsuit claiming he was fired because he was in his 50s, saying he couldn't overcome the fast casual restaurant chain's argument that he was let go because of a cockroach infestation.

  • March 02, 2026

    NFL Teams Ask Judge To Revisit Flores Suit Arbitration Ruling

    Three NFL teams have asked a New York federal judge to reverse a decision she made two weeks ago and allow their dispute with former head coach Brian Flores to be decided in arbitration instead of in court.

  • March 02, 2026

    School Mask Rule Warning Cost Director His Job, Jury Told

    A former administrator told a Pennsylvania federal jury Monday that Upper Bucks County Technical School violated his First Amendment rights by firing him for speaking out about the school's purported violation of a statewide mask mandate during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • March 02, 2026

    Adopting EEOC Binary Bathroom Stance Seen As Risky Move

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently declared that it's legal for federal agencies to bar transgender workers from accessing restrooms that match their gender identity, but employment experts said private employers that adopt this approach may be putting themselves in legal jeopardy.

  • March 02, 2026

    Gift Shop Co. Cuts $600K Deal In EEOC Disability Bias Suit

    A hospital gift shop company has agreed to pay $600,000 to end a suit from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claiming it asked questions on its job applications that illegally screened out workers with disabilities.

  • March 02, 2026

    Nurse Who Won Retaliation Verdict Can't Get Former Job Back

    The First Circuit refused to order a Puerto Rico agency to return a nurse to her previous job even though a jury handed her a six-figure retaliation win, saying unwinding her transfer wasn't justified because the verdict hadn't specifically deemed the move illegal.

  • March 02, 2026

    Pepsi Extinguishes Employee's Tobacco Fee Lawsuit

    Pepsi has defeated a proposed class action claiming it unlawfully charged employees who used tobacco more to obtain health insurance, with a New York federal judge shutting down a worker's argument that the company hadn't given tobacco users a sufficient way to avoid the surcharge.

  • February 27, 2026

    Marshall Dennehey Can't Arbitrate Atty's Sex Harassment Suit

    An Ohio appeals court declined Thursday to send a former Marshall Dennehey PC attorney's sexual harassment suit to arbitration, ruling that mocking comments he faced from a senior lawyer triggered the protection of a law that shields sex misconduct disputes from being kicked out of court.

Expert Analysis

  • Employer Tips For Responding To ICE In The Workplace

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    Increased immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump's administration has left employers struggling to balance their compliance obligations with their desire to provide a safe workplace, so creating a thorough response plan and training for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's presence at the workplace is crucial, say attorneys at Hanson Bridgett.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: Shifting Worker Accommodation Rules

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    Since President Donald Trump took office, many changes have directly affected how employers must address accommodation requests, particularly those concerning pregnancy-related medical conditions and religious beliefs, underscoring the importance of regularly reviewing and updating accommodation policies and procedures, say attorneys at Kutak Rock.

  • Shifting DEI Expectations Put Banks In Legal Crosshairs

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    The Trump administration's rollbacks on DEI-friendly policies create something of a regulatory catch-22 for banks, wherein strict compliance would contradict established statutory and administrative mandates regarding access to credit for disadvantaged communities, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • Compliance Tips After Court Axes EEOC's Trans Rights Take

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    A Texas federal court's recent decision struck portions of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's 2024 guidance pertaining to sexual orientation and gender identity under Title VII, barring their use nationwide and leaving employers unsure about how to proceed in their compliance efforts, say attorneys at Dorsey & Whitney.

  • 5 Insurance Claims That Could Emerge After NCAA Settlement

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    Following the recent NCAA class action settlement that will allow revenue sharing with college athletes, there may be potential management liability for universities, their executive leadership and boards that could expose insurers to tax, regulatory, breach of contract and other claims, says Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty.

  • 8th Circ. Ruling Highlights Complicated Remote Work Analysis

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    The Eighth Circuit’s recent opinion in Kuklenski v. Medtronic USA demonstrates that the applicability of employment laws to remote workers is often a fact-driven analysis, highlighting several parameters to consider when evaluating what state and local laws may apply to employees who work remotely, say attorneys at Vedder Price.

  • Philly Law Initiates New Era Of Worker Protections

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    A new worker protection law in Philadelphia includes, among other measures, a private right of action and recordkeeping requirements that may amount to a lower evidentiary standard, introducing a new level of accountability and additional noncompliance risks for employers, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Justices' Ruling Lowers Bar For Reverse Discrimination Suits

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous opinion in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, lowering the evidentiary burden for plaintiffs bringing so-called reverse discrimination claims, may lead to more claims brought by majority group employees — and open the door to legal challenges to employer diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, say attorneys at Ice Miller.

  • 4 Midyear Employer Actions To Reinforce Compliance

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    The legal and political landscape surrounding what the government describes as unlawful diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives has become increasingly complex over the past six months, and the midyear juncture presents a strategic opportunity to reinforce commitments to legal integrity, workplace equity and long-term operational resilience, say attorneys at Krevolin & Horst.

  • Proposed State AI Rule Ban Could Alter Employer Compliance

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    A proposal in the congressional budget bill that would ban state and local enforcement of laws and regulations governing artificial intelligence may offer near-term clarity by freezing conflicting rules, but long-term planning would remain difficult for employers seeking safe, lawful AI deployment strategies, say attorneys at Fisher Phillips.

  • What Employers Can Learn From 'Your Friends & Neighbors'

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    The new drama series "Your Friends and Neighbors," follows a hedge fund firm manager who is terminated after an alleged affair with an employee in another department, and his employment struggles can teach us a few lessons about workplace policies, for cause termination and nonsolicitation clauses, says Anita Levian at Levian Law.

  • Water Cooler Talk: Performance Review Tips From 'Severance'

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    In the hit series "Severance," the eerie depiction of performance reviews, which drone on for hours and focus on frivolous issues, can instruct employers about best practices to follow and mistakes to avoid when conducting employee evaluations, say Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter at Troutman.

  • A Look At Employer Wins In Title VII Suits Over DEI Training

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    Despite increased attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, courts across the country have favored employers in cases opposing diversity training, challenging the idea that all workplace inclusion efforts violate the law and highlighting the importance of employers precisely recognizing the legal guardrails, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.