Discrimination

  • June 02, 2025

    Jenner & Block Ruling 'Meant What It Said,' Judge Tells Feds

    The order striking down the Trump administration's executive order targeting Jenner & Block LLP "meant what it said," a Washington, D.C., federal judge ruled Monday, saying the government must rescind enforcement of all parts of the president's directive.

  • June 02, 2025

    Amazon Gets Sex Bias Claims Cut From Ex-Worker's Bias Suit

    Amazon escaped part of a former executive assistant's lawsuit alleging he was passed over for promotions and belittled by a supervisor because he's Black and gay, with a Georgia federal judge on Monday adopting a report that found several of his claims were filed too late.

  • June 02, 2025

    Ala. Capital Beats Ex-Police Chief's Race Bias, Retaliation Suit

    The city of Montgomery, Alabama, defeated a Black former police chief's lawsuit claiming the mayor forced him out for failing to give preferential treatment to Black employees, with a federal judge saying he couldn't overcome the argument that low morale and a high crime rate spurred the city to seek his resignation.

  • June 02, 2025

    Google Wants Ex-Sales Rep's $2M Commission Suit Tossed

    Google urged a Connecticut federal court to ax a former Google Cloud salesman's suit alleging that the company owes him $2 million in commissions and fired him while he underwent cancer treatments to dodge insurance benefits, saying his claims can't stand.

  • June 02, 2025

    3rd Circ. Backs Religious Bias Suit Over Fire Dept. Beard Ban

    The Third Circuit ruled that Atlantic City, New Jersey, may have been able to accommodate a fire department worker who wanted to grow a beard under his Christian beliefs, partially reinstating the worker's suit claiming he was illegally denied a carveout to the grooming policy.

  • June 02, 2025

    Trump Budget Proposes OFCCP Elimination, EEOC Cuts

    President Donald Trump's administration has proposed eliminating the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and shifting some of its remaining responsibilities to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which itself would see a nearly $20 million budget reduction.

  • June 02, 2025

    Defamation Litigation Roundup: Cheetos, NASCAR, OpenAI

    In this month's review of ongoing defamation fights, Law360 looks back on developments in a man's case against Frito-Lay Inc. over what he called the company's defamatory statements disputing his role in the invention of a flavor of Cheetos.

  • June 02, 2025

    Fisher Phillips Adds New Houston Leader From Reed Smith

    Employer-side labor and employment firm Fisher Phillips announced Monday that it has added a new hire in Houston from Reed Smith LLP who will serve as regional managing partner of the office.

  • June 02, 2025

    Performance Issues Doom Pregnancy Bias Suit, 4th Circ. Says

    The Fourth Circuit declined to revive a suit from a medical center worker who said she was fired for requesting an eight-hour workday to manage her pregnancy complications, ruling she failed to overcome ample evidence that recurring performance issues caused her termination.

  • June 02, 2025

    Jackson, Sotomayor Bristle As High Court Skips Bias Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision Monday to pass on a Black dancer's race discrimination case sparked objections from Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor, who said the Fifth Circuit's conclusion that the performer filed suit too late was "patently erroneous."

  • May 30, 2025

    Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

    Saying that June's circuit court calendars include important arguments in all practice areas would be hyperbolic — but just slightly. That's because significant showdowns are imminent involving appellate procedure principles, "click-to-cancel" rules, government procurement protests, judiciary employment protections and litigation risk insurance — as well as President Donald Trump's felony convictions and extraordinary deportation measures.

  • May 30, 2025

    11th Circ. Revives Ex-Employment Agency Worker's Bias Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit reopened a former employment agency worker's lawsuit claiming she was unlawfully fired based on rumors she was having an affair with an executive, ruling Friday that a lower court should've given her a chance to amend her case before tossing it for good.

  • May 30, 2025

    What To Know As Trump's Vision Changes EEOC Partnerships

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently said it will stop reimbursing state and local regulators for investigating claims of gender identity and disparate impact discrimination. Here's what experts say workers and employers should know about the EEOC's partnerships and the impact President Donald Trump's directives may have on them.

  • May 30, 2025

    8th Circ. Sends Fired Diabetic Worker's FMLA Claim To Trial

    The Eighth Circuit revived Friday an ex-manager's claim that a Hardee's franchisee interfered with her right to medical leave when she was fired for missing work following a diabetic episode, ruling a jury needs to consider whether the company knew she needed leave when she was sacked.

  • May 30, 2025

    Insurance Cos. Can't Force Arbitration Of Race, Sex Bias Suits

    American Income Life Insurance Co. and a brokerage firm can't make Black and female former employees arbitrate several lawsuits claiming they were forced to endure rampant harassment, a New Jersey state appeals court ruled Friday, saying the workers' arbitration agreement didn't properly explain what they were giving up.

  • May 30, 2025

    Employment Lawyers' Weekly DEI Cheat Sheet

    A federal judge struck down a presidential executive order against the law firm WilmerHale in a forceful decision, the state of Missouri fought to keep its anti-DEI lawsuit against Starbucks alive and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management laid out a blueprint for steering the federal hiring system away from what it called bureaucratic "'equity' quotas." ​​​​​​​Here, Law360 looks at notable DEI-related legal developments over the past week.

  • May 30, 2025

    Ga. Panel Ends County Workers' Whistleblower Suit

    A Georgia appellate panel said that Fulton County should have been handed an early win in a whistleblower suit from two ex-employees who said they were canned for reporting corruption by an elected official, ruling the county was justified in firing them for their own financial indiscretions.

  • May 30, 2025

    6 Argument Sessions Bias Attorneys Should Watch In June

    The Eighth Circuit will hear from an ex-principal who said she was illegally pushed out after advocating for LGBTQ+ students and authorizing a Pride flag in an inclusivity display, while the Ninth Circuit will consider whether a religious employer can avoid having Washington state's anti-discrimination law enforced against it. Here, Law360 looks at six argument sessions discrimination attorneys should have on their radar.

  • May 30, 2025

    Atlanta Seeks Win In Ex-Building Officials' Age Bias Suit

    A former Atlanta building official has failed to show his age was the deciding factor in not being promoted to a chief inspector role, the city told a federal court, urging it to toss the man's discrimination lawsuit.

  • May 30, 2025

    Sikorsky Aircraft Workers Can't Back Bias Claims, Court Told

    Two Black ex-employees should lose their federal racial discrimination lawsuit against Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. because one was fired for stealing time, and the other has shown "no evidence of any adverse employment action," the company said in seeking summary judgment Thursday.

  • May 30, 2025

    Calif. Forecast: State Justices Weigh Good-Faith Wage Args

    In the coming week, attorneys should watch for California Supreme Court oral arguments regarding what an employer must show for a good faith defense in a wage case. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters on deck in the Golden State.

  • May 30, 2025

    Jenner & Block Fights DOJ Motion Over Exec Order

    Jenner & Block LLP on Friday fought a bid from the U.S. Department of Justice to carve out part of a March executive order targeting the firm after the bulk of the order was tossed last week, in a dispute that could relate to future actions against the firm.

  • May 30, 2025

    Temple U., Cancer Center Can't Dodge Prof's Sex Bias Claims

    Temple University and its cancer research center can't shut down the bulk of a researcher's suit claiming her supervisor refused to support her after she complained about his unwanted advances, a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled, finding she plausibly alleged harassment interfered with her job.

  • May 30, 2025

    NY Forecast: Judge Weighs Jury Trial Demand In Layoffs Suit

    This week, a New York federal judge will hear arguments over whether a class of former workers at a Four Seasons hotel can withdraw their request for a jury trial in their suit claiming the hotel did not provide required notices before laying them off.

  • May 30, 2025

    Judge Balks At Trimming Ex-GC's Bias Suit Before Arbitration

    A New York federal judge rejected a recommendation to narrow and then send to arbitration a Black former general counsel's suit claiming she was fired from The Palm steakhouse chain out of race bias after her cancer diagnosis, saying the whole dispute needs to go to an arbitrator.

Expert Analysis

  • Cos. Should Focus On State AI Laws Despite New DOL Site

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    Because a new U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored website about the disability discrimination risks of AI hiring tools mostly echoes old guidance, employers should focus on complying with the state and local AI workplace laws springing up where Congress and federal regulators have yet to act, say attorneys at Littler.

  • How The Tide Of EEOC Litigation Rolled Back In FY 2024

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    An analysis of the location, timing and underlying claims asserted in U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission-initiated cases during fiscal year 2024 shows that the commission saw a substantial decrease in litigation activity after a surge last year, but employers should not drop their guard, say Christopher DeGroff and Andrew Scroggins at Seyfarth.

  • The Key Changes In Revised FDIC Hiring Regulations

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    Attorneys at Ogletree break down the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s new rule, effective Oct. 1, that will ease restrictions on financial institutions hiring employees with criminal histories, amend the FDIC's treatment of minor offenses and clarify its stance on expunged or dismissed criminal records.

  • Employer Tips For PUMP Act Compliance As Law Turns 2

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    Enacted in December 2022, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act requires employers to provide reasonable break time and a private space for employees to express breast milk, but some companies may still be struggling with how to comply, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • What To Know About Ill. Employment Law Changes

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    Illinois employers should review their policies in light of a number of recent changes to state employment law, including amendments to the state’s Human Rights Act and modifications to the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act, say attorneys at Kilpatrick.

  • Mich. Whistleblower Ruling Expands Retaliation Remedies

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    The Michigan Supreme Court's recent Occupational Health and Safety Act decision in Stegall v. Resource Technology is important because it increases the potential exposure for defendants in public policy retaliation cases, providing plaintiffs with additional claims, say Aaron Burrell and Timothy Howlett at Dickinson Wright.

  • How States Are Approaching AI Workplace Discrimination

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    As legislators across the U.S. have begun addressing algorithmic discrimination in the workplace, attorneys at Reed Smith provide an overview of the status, applicability and provisions of 13 state and local bills.

  • The Risks Of Employee Political Discourse On Social Media

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    As election season enters its final stretch and employees increasingly engage in political speech on social media, employers should beware the liability risks and consider policies that negotiate the line between employees' rights and the limits on those rights, say Bradford Kelley and James McGehee at Littler.

  • 7th Circ. Rulings Offer Employee Vaccine Exemption Guidance

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    Dawn Solowey and Samantha Brooks at Seyfarth explain how two recent Seventh Circuit rulings in Passarella v. Aspirus and Bube v. Aspirus could affect litigation involving employee vaccine exemptions, and discuss employer best practices for handling accommodation requests that include both religious and secular concerns.

  • Employers Should Not Neglect Paid Military Leave Compliance

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    An August decision from the Ninth Circuit and the settlement of a long-running class action, both examining paid leave requirements under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, are part of a nationwide trend that should prompt employers to review their military leave policies to avoid potential litigation and reputational damage, says Bradford Kelley at Littler.

  • Old Employment Law Principles Can Answer New AI Concerns

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    Despite growing legal and regulatory concerns about how artificial intelligence tools may affect employment decisions and worker rights, companies should take comfort in knowing that familiar principles of employment law and established compliance regimes can still largely address these new twists on old questions, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

  • NYC Wage Info Bill Highlights Rise In Pay Transparency Laws

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    With New York City the latest to mull requiring companies to annually report employee wage data, national employers should consider adapting their compliance practices to comply with increasingly common pay transparency and disclosure obligations at state and local levels, says Kelly Cardin at Littler Mendelson.

  • Workday AI Bias Suit Suggests Hiring Lessons For Employers

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    As state laws and a federal agency increasingly focus on employment bias introduced by artificial intelligence systems, a California federal court's recent decision to allow a discrimination suit to proceed against Workday's AI-driven recruitment software, shows companies should promptly assess these tools' risks, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.