Discrimination

  • August 01, 2025

    En Banc 9th Circ. Backs LA Schools In Vax Mandate Fight

    A majority en banc Ninth Circuit has affirmed a lower court's decision upholding Los Angeles Unified School District's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees, while two partially dissenting judges disagreed with the majority's conclusion that the policy passes constitutional muster.

  • August 01, 2025

    8th Circ. Backs U. Of Nebraska In ADHD Disability Bias Suit

    The Eighth Circuit backed the dismissal Friday of an ex-information technology worker's suit claiming the University of Nebraska fired him for seeking accommodations for his attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, ruling he failed to show his condition, rather than a violation of school policy, caused his termination.

  • August 01, 2025

    4 Arguments Bias Attorneys Should Watch In August

    The Fifth Circuit will consider reinstating a $70 million verdict in favor of workers who accused a telecommunications company of race discrimination, while the Ninth Circuit will tackle a religious bias case over a vaccine mandate, a legal battle over attorney fees and a separate religious discrimination case over anti-LGBTQ+ comments. Here are four argument sessions discrimination attorneys should keep tabs on this month.

  • August 01, 2025

    NJ Town Faces Whistleblower Suit Over Immigration Policies

    A former New Jersey township manager has claimed in state court that he was the target of retaliation and discrimination after opposing a set of local ordinances that he said would have unlawfully targeted immigrants and enabled racial profiling.

  • August 01, 2025

    7th Circ. Backs Prison Warden's Firing Over Facebook Memes

    The Seventh Circuit has refused to revive a deputy prison warden's suit claiming he was terminated in retaliation for sharing memes online denigrating Muslims, Black people, liberals and the LGBTQ community and calling the Confederate flag "our flag," saying the corrections department's interest as a public employer outweighs his speech interests.

  • August 01, 2025

    Calif. Forecast: Toxicology Co. Wants Wage Claims Arbitrated

    In the coming week, attorneys should watch for arguments about whether a proposed wage and hour class action against a drug and alcohol testing company should be sent to arbitration or back to state court. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters on deck in California.

  • August 01, 2025

    3rd Circ. Won't Revive Age Bias Suit Over COVID Layoffs

    The Third Circuit declined to reinstate a suit accusing a marketing firm of slating a worker for layoff because of her age, saying she failed to rebut the company's argument that the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the layoffs.

  • August 01, 2025

    Vegas Casinos Settle EEOC Vax Exception Charges

    Two Las Vegas resorts and casinos struck deals with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to settle claims that they shirked anti-bias laws by refusing to grant religious accommodations related to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, the agency announced.

  • August 01, 2025

    NY Forecast: Judge Weighs Tossing Hospital Retaliation Suit

    This week, a New York federal judge will consider tossing a suit brought by a former administrator at Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital who claims she was fired for complaining about sexual harassment she faced from a co-worker.

  • July 31, 2025

    'It Ends With Us' Coverage Suit Opens New Front In Legal War

    The decision by Justin Baldoni's insurer to seek relief from defending the "It Ends With Us" actor and his associates from co-star Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims has legal experts raising their eyebrows, as they observe strange circumstances mixed with common coverage issues.

  • July 31, 2025

    GAO Says VA Not Monitoring All Whistleblower Settlements

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a report Thursday that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' lacks information on all settlement agreements reached in whistleblower retaliation cases involving VA employees due to lack of coordination between agencies. 

  • July 31, 2025

    Ex-FDIC Chair 'Livid' Over Toxic Workplace Claims, OIG Says

    An investigation by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s inspector general has found evidence that former Chair Martin Gruenberg and four unnamed ex-senior officials "personally engaged in some degree of inappropriate workplace conduct," in the latest report on the sexual harassment and toxic workplace scandal that erupted into public view nearly two years ago.

  • July 31, 2025

    Senate Confirms EEOC Leader Lucas For Fresh Term

    The U.S. Senate voted on party lines Thursday to confirm acting U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Andrea Lucas for a fresh five-year term, clearing the way for her to continue recalibrating the agency's work to match President Donald Trump's agenda.

  • July 31, 2025

    NJ Town Knocks Out Worker's $1.6M Disability Bias Win

    A New Jersey appellate court scrapped a $1.6 million verdict Thursday for a township employee who said she was discriminated and retaliated against for taking leave to treat her anxiety, ruling the evidence presented at trial didn't justify the damages award.

  • July 31, 2025

    EEOC Says Hospital Wrong To Fire Worker Allergic To Vaccine

    A hospital violated federal disability law when it fired a worker in its insurance department who didn't get the COVID-19 vaccine because she was allergic to it, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged in Illinois federal court Thursday.

  • July 31, 2025

    Seattle Sues Trump Administration Over Anti-DEI Grant Terms

    The city of Seattle sued the Trump administration in Washington federal court on Thursday, targeting two executive orders that require federal funding recipients to adopt the president's stances on diversity efforts and gender or risk losing money for a range of critical causes.

  • July 31, 2025

    6th Circ. Hints White Worker Lost Chance For Strong Bias Suit

    There are strong indicators that the University of Toledo sacked a white human resources employee to shield it from racism allegations, two Sixth Circuit judges agreed Thursday, but they said the evidence is of little use since no race discrimination claim was brought in the case before them.

  • July 31, 2025

    Drexel Ordered To Pay $546K In Fees, Costs In Equal Pay Case

    A former Drexel University professor found at trial to have been paid less than her male colleagues can recoup nearly $546,000 in attorney fees and costs, a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled Thursday, rejecting arguments her request was late, and was inappropriate because her lead counsel was her husband.

  • July 31, 2025

    Honeywell Ex-GC Claims Age Bias Led To Firing At 55

    A Honeywell International Inc. former vice president and general counsel accused the Charlotte-based conglomerate of age discrimination, telling a North Carolina federal court that she was fired for turning 55.

  • July 31, 2025

    ABA Seeks To Toss Race Bias Suit Over Scholarship Program

    The American Bar Association urged an Illinois federal court to throw out a lawsuit from The American Alliance for Equal Rights alleging the association's Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund constitutes race-based discrimination, arguing that the claims are simply a "'desire to vindicate' a particular 'view of the law.'"

  • July 31, 2025

    Firefighter Says Military Service Cost Her Pay, Opportunities

    The Jersey City, New Jersey, fire department shorted a firefighter on pay and pension benefits while she was out on military leave and deprived her of opportunities upon her return to work, according to a lawsuit filed in state court.

  • July 31, 2025

    Dept. Head Ends Claim Of Being Forced To Work After Injuries

    Scientific Systems Company Inc., a Massachusetts-based military contractor, and a former department head have agreed to dismiss a Connecticut federal employment discrimination lawsuit that claimed the company forced its ex-employee to work with a spinal injury and broken fingers after he fell during a travel assignment.

  • July 31, 2025

    Rising Star: Proskauer's Rachel Fischer

    Proskauer Rose's Rachel Fischer has successfully defended high-profile clients such as Fox News in a former producer's sexual harassment and assault suit and the MLB in an umpire's race discrimination suit, earning her a spot among the employment practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.

  • July 31, 2025

    Clinic Settles EEOC Disability Bias Suit Over Worker's Firing

    A pediatric clinic told a Georgia federal judge Thursday that it struck a $70,000 deal to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming it fired an employee because she asked to work remotely to manage her anxiety and PTSD.

  • July 30, 2025

    DOJ Flags 'Unlawful Discrimination' To Gov't Fund Recipients

    The U.S. Department of Justice has outlined what it considers "unlawful discrimination" that federal funding recipients must avoid, including diversity, equity and inclusion programs, transgender athletes and "proxy" discrimination of assessing a job applicant's "cultural competence."

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • 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.