Discrimination

  • March 19, 2026

    EEOC Seeks Info From Repair Co. In Hiring Bias Probe

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has urged a Florida federal judge to force a home appliance repair company to turn over records as part of an agency investigation into whether its hiring practices were discriminatory.

  • March 19, 2026

    Former McDermott Paralegal Says Age Bias Got Her Fired

    McDermott Will & Schulte LLP unlawfully terminated a paralegal months before her 65th birthday and replaced her with a younger worker based on the "obtuse" assumption that her performance didn't justify her salary, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in Texas federal court.

  • March 19, 2026

    Ill. Planned Parenthood Strikes Deal To End Feds' DEI Probe

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Thursday that Planned Parenthood of Illinois has agreed to pay $500,000 to end an agency investigation into claims that it discriminated against white employees through diversity, equity and inclusion trainings.

  • March 19, 2026

    GM, UAW Accused Of Bias Over Disability Leave Limits

    General Motors threatened to fire a longtime employee because of her disability-related absences, the worker told a Tennessee federal court in a lawsuit, which lobs discrimination claims at the company and her union.

  • March 19, 2026

    2nd Circ. Affirms Manufacturing Worker's $770K FMLA Verdict

    The Second Circuit refused Thursday to scrap a $770,000 jury verdict for a worker who claimed he was fired by an electronics component manufacturer for taking medical leave, ruling the company failed to raise its arguments in the trial court before bringing them up on appeal.

  • March 19, 2026

    Plaintiff's Attys Withdraw From Michigan Atty Retaliation Case

    Counsel for an attorney pursuing sexual harassment discrimination and retaliation claims against her former firm and ex-mentor have filed to withdraw their representation, citing a "breakdown in the attorney-client relationship."

  • March 19, 2026

    11th Circ. Says Black Cop's Race Bias Suit Thin On Evidence

    The Eleventh Circuit on Thursday backed the dismissal of a Black ex-cop's suit claiming Miami-Dade County disciplined and fired him for calling out systemic race discrimination in its police department, shutting down a case the appeals court revived in 2020.

  • March 19, 2026

    Cole Scott Escapes Ex-Paralegal's Bias, Retaliation Suit

    Florida law firm Cole Scott & Kissane PA defeated a suit claiming it fired a paralegal for complaining that colleagues harassed her because she was a Black woman in her 40s with fibromyalgia, with a Florida federal judge finding the woman's claims too threadbare to remain in court.

  • March 19, 2026

    4th Circ. Backs $91K Atty Fee For Worker's $5K Bias Verdict

    The Fourth Circuit declined to scrap $91,000 in attorney fees awarded to a former gym bookkeeper who won $5,000 at trial on her claims that she was fired for reporting sexual harassment, ruling the lower court properly evaluated the effort the worker's counsel put into the case.

  • March 18, 2026

    UnitedHealth Customers Denied Class Cert. In PrEP Suit

    Two UnitedHealthcare customers can't turn their Affordable Care Act lawsuit against a company subsidiary into a class action, a Minnesota federal judge ruled Wednesday, denying the pair's bid to represent thousands of customers in litigation accusing the subsidiary of failing to approve full coverage for PrEP.

  • March 18, 2026

    2nd Circ. Sides With Car Dealership In Pregnancy Bias Suit

    The Second Circuit declined Wednesday to revive a suit from a former car salesperson who said her bosses sabotaged her ability to land deals after she announced her pregnancy, ruling she hadn't furnished evidence that bias drove her supervisors to try to reduce her income.

  • March 18, 2026

    Worker Fired After Moonshine Mishap Loses ADA Suit

    The Sixth Circuit refused Wednesday to reopen a suit from a former restaurant manager who said he was fired because he had a stroke, ruling he couldn't overcome his former employer's rationale that he'd lost his supervisors' trust after searching colleagues' bags for moonshine.

  • March 18, 2026

    Ga. Officials Must Face Claims They Violated Race Bias Deal

    The Eleventh Circuit ruled that Georgia county school officials can't escape a Black ex-teacher's suit alleging they ignored a race discrimination settlement that required enacting a plan to address hiring bias.

  • March 18, 2026

    White Ex-Penn State Prof Gets Traction In 3rd Circ. Bias Fight

    Penn State University faced headwinds at the Third Circuit on Wednesday as it pushed to preserve its trial court win over a white former professor's race discrimination suit, with one judge taking the school's attorney to task for categorizing the case as a broad attack on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

  • March 18, 2026

    AFSCME Unit, Pa. DOT Must Face Seniority Dispute

    An American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees unit and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation cannot escape an employee's lawsuit alleging that she was placed on unpaid leave during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic while less senior workers were able to continue working, a state appeals court ruled.

  • March 18, 2026

    Microsoft Attempts To Narrow Atty's Pregnancy Bias Suit

    Microsoft Corp. asked a Washington federal judge to trim an attorney's bias case alleging she was fired shortly after announcing her pregnancy, arguing that some of her claims aren't viable because they fell outside the scope of her pre-suit U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charge.

  • March 18, 2026

    11th Circ. Won't Revive Ex-JetBlue Worker's COVID Mask Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit backed JetBlue's win in a lawsuit claiming the airline violated federal disability bias law when it refused to let a flight attendant work maskless during the COVID-19 pandemic, ruling that she waited too long to file a presuit charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

  • March 18, 2026

    NJ Judge Tosses Ex-Elections Chief's Suit Over Ouster

    A New Jersey state judge has tossed the ex-Garden State elections chief's suit against former Gov. Phil Murphy and members of the governor's administration over efforts to oust him.

  • March 18, 2026

    DOL Poised To Issue Joint Employer Rule

    The U.S. Department of Labor has sent a proposed rule laying out the Trump administration's test for joint employer status to the White House for review, teeing up the regulation for release.

  • March 17, 2026

    K&L Gates Adds Ex-Protection Law, Littler Labor Atty In LA

    K&L Gates LLP has added a labor and employment partner with experience at Protection Law Group and Littler Mendelson to its Labor, Employment and Workplace Safety practice in Los Angeles, according to an announcement Tuesday.

  • March 17, 2026

    NYC Asks To Stop Defending Eric Adams In Sex Assault Suit

    New York City's law department Tuesday moved to terminate its representation of former Mayor Eric Adams in a sexual assault suit filed by a former police department colleague, arguing Adams wasn't acting within the scope of his city employment at the time of the alleged incidents. 

  • March 17, 2026

    Jury Must Decide If Nexstar Defamed Pride Memo Authors

    A Michigan federal judge refused Tuesday to clear Nexstar of claims that it painted two former television news managers as anti-gay to save face amid negative publicity about an internal memo on the station's Pride Month coverage, teeing up a possible trial. 

  • March 17, 2026

    JPMorgan Says Arbitration Pact Stands Despite Atty's Gaffe

    JPMorgan Chase urged a Manhattan federal court Monday to send a former employee's race discrimination and pay bias claims to arbitration, arguing that an in-house lawyer's mistaken assurance prior to litigation that she wasn't bound by an arbitration agreement doesn't amount to a waiver of the right to enforce it.

  • March 17, 2026

    Auto Parts Co. Calls EEOC Info Demand 'Fishing Expedition'

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is seeking far more information than necessary to investigate whether Napa Auto Parts discriminated against Black applicants, the company argued, urging a Texas federal court to pare down the agency's "scattershot" demands.

  • March 17, 2026

    Pizza Hut Franchisee Cuts Deal In EEOC Sex Harassment Suit

    A Pizza Hut franchisee told a Texas federal judge Tuesday that it will pay $35,000 to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit alleging the business fired a manager for complaining that her boss sabotaged her store because she ended a romantic relationship with him.

Expert Analysis

  • Challenging A Class Representative's Adequacy And Typicality

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    Recent cases highlight that a named plaintiff cannot certify a putative class action unless they can meet all the applicable requirements of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, so defendants should consider challenging a plaintiff's ability to meet typicality and adequacy requirements early and often, say attorneys at Womble Bond.

  • Age Bias Ruling Holds Harassment Policy Lessons

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    A Kansas federal court's recent decision in Holman v. Textron Aviation, rejecting an employee's assertion that his termination for failing to report harassment was pretextual and due to age bias, provides insight into how courts analyze whether actions are pretextual and offers lessons about enforcing anti-harassment policies, say attorneys at Ogletree.

  • Employer Tips As Deepfakes Reshape Workplace Harassment

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    As the workplace harassment landscape faces the rising threat of fabricated media that hyperrealistically depict employees in sexual or malicious contexts, employers can stay ahead of the curve by tracking new legal obligations, and proactively updating policies, training and response protocols, say attorneys at Littler.

  • How To Balance AI Adoption With Employee Privacy Risks

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    As artificial intelligence transforms the workplace, organizations must learn to leverage AI's capabilities while safeguarding against employee privacy risks and complying with a complex web of regulations, including by vetting vendors, mitigating employee misuse and establishing a governance framework, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • How Ending OFCCP Will Affect Affirmative Action Obligations

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    As President Donald Trump's administration plans to eliminate the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which enforces federal contractor antidiscrimination compliance and affirmative action program obligations, contractors should consider the best compliance approaches available to them, especially given the False Claims Act implications, say attorneys at Ogletree.

  • Employer Best Practices For Navigating Worker Separations

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    As job cuts hit several major industries, employers should take steps to minimize their exposure to discrimination claims, information leaks and enforcement challenges, such as maintaining sound documentation, strategic planning and legal coordination, says Mark Romance at Day Pitney.

  • 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.