Discrimination

  • March 12, 2025

    DC Judge Challenges DOD Over Trans Military Ban Policy

    A D.C. federal judge said at a hearing Wednesday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth either intends to ban transgender people from the military entirely or he's "sloppy" and says things on social media that contradict the policy he wrote.

  • March 12, 2025

    Tech Mahindra Urges Justices To Nix White Worker's Bias Suit

    Tech Mahindra asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Third Circuit's ruling reviving a proposed class action claiming the information technology company favored South Asian employees, arguing it deepened a circuit split by greenlighting a case that should have been time-barred.

  • March 12, 2025

    Education Dept. Eyes Appeal After Teacher Grants Revived

    President Donald Trump's administration opened two lines of attack on a Boston federal judge's order temporarily reinstating $250 million in U.S. Department of Education grants for teacher training that were cut last month because of their ties to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, filing an appeal with the First Circuit while also seeking an emergency stay.

  • March 12, 2025

    Trump Admin Drops Biden Bid To Unfreeze ACA Trans Rule

    The Trump administration asked the Fifth Circuit on Wednesday to dismiss its appeal, filed in July by the Biden administration, of a Texas federal judge's decision to halt a rule protecting access to gender-affirming healthcare.

  • March 12, 2025

    Senate Confirms Trump's Pick For DOL Deputy Leader

    The U.S. Senate on Wednesday in a party-line vote confirmed President Donald Trump's nominee for deputy labor secretary, the second-in-command of the U.S. Department of Labor.

  • March 12, 2025

    Cal State Can Bar Caste Bias, 9th Circ. Affirms

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Wednesday affirmed a lower court's ruling that two California State University professors lacked standing to challenge the university's inclusion of caste as a protected class in its antidiscrimination policy, saying the policy never specifically mentions Hinduism and therefore does not stigmatize the religion or force self-censorship.

  • March 12, 2025

    8th Circ. Backs Conagra In Fired Worker's Race, ADA Bias Suit

    The Eighth Circuit on Wednesday upheld the dismissal of a biracial former Conagra worker's suit claiming the food giant demoted and fired her after she needed an accommodation following a workplace injury, finding her case lacks proof the company wanted to punish her for the request.

  • March 12, 2025

    Manager Says Flagging FMLA Concerns Got Her Fired

    A nonprofit health system fired its Family and Medical Leave Act case manager after she spoke out against the unlawful changes it made to its leave policies that made it more difficult for workers to take time off, a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Indiana federal court said.

  • March 12, 2025

    Judge Blocks Order Limiting Perkins Coie Government Access

    A D.C. federal judge on Wednesday halted enforcement of the Trump administration's executive order against law firm Perkins Coie LLP that cited issues including its representation of Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential run, calling the order "viewpoint discrimination, plain and simple."

  • March 12, 2025

    Weinstein Evidence Takes Shape Ahead Of Retrial In NY

    A New York state judge on Wednesday ruled on evidentiary issues ahead of Harvey Weinstein's retrial on rape and sexual assault charges, as his overturned conviction — vacated due to improperly admitted evidence — loomed over the proceedings.

  • March 12, 2025

    Boeing, Ex-Employee End Medical Leave Lawsuit

    Boeing and a Muslim former supply chain specialist told a Texas federal court Wednesday they've resolved the worker's lawsuit alleging he was fired for taking medical leave, less than two months after the aerospace giant got his religious bias claims nixed.

  • March 12, 2025

    Buzbee, Ex-Client Say Roc Nation Can't Exit Conspiracy Suits

    Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter's company Roc Nation "spearheaded" efforts to launch malpractice suits against the Buzbee Law Firm in retaliation for a lawsuit the firm filed accusing the rap star of rape, so it cannot exit a Texas federal suit over that effort by claiming a lack of jurisdiction, the firm said.

  • March 12, 2025

    Houston Harbaugh Welcomes New Labor Practice Chair

    Pittsburgh-based Houston Harbaugh PC expanded its employment law services with the recent addition of an attorney and new practice leader who joined the firm after 14 years with Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bostick & Raspanti LLP.

  • March 12, 2025

    Prison, Ex-Treatment Counselor End Medical Leave Suit

    A prison owner and operator and a former prison treatment counselor have agreed to dismiss the worker's suit accusing the company of terminating her while on medical leave, they told a California federal court Wednesday.

  • March 12, 2025

    Manufacturing Co. Ends EEOC Disability Bias Suit

    A manufacturing company will pay $40,000 to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit alleging it unlawfully fired a worker who took time off because of a seizure disorder, according to a federal court filing. 

  • March 11, 2025

    Ill. Transpo Applicant's GIPA Claim Isn't Blocked, Judge Says

    A transportation service applicant can proceed with allegations that he was illegally required to divulge his family medical history during a pre-employment physical since they don't conflict with federal driver safety regulations, an Illinois federal judge has ruled. 

  • March 11, 2025

    Perkins Coie Slams Trump's Executive Order Retaliation

    Perkins Coie LLP sued the Trump administration Tuesday over an executive order targeting the firm for its diversity-focused hiring efforts and its representation of certain political figures including former Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, calling the order "an affront to the Constitution" that aims to chill future representation of certain clients.

  • March 11, 2025

    NJ AG Accuses Defunct Lender Of Racial Bias, Retaliation

    The owner of a recently shuttered New Jersey-based cash advance business instructed sales staff not to "waste your time with the Chinese, with the Africans and Spanish," and he sent racist messages to employees in a group chat, according to an announcement from the New Jersey attorney general's office.

  • March 11, 2025

    Amazon Strikes Deal To Resolve Black Executive's Bias Suit

    Amazon resolved a Black business development manager's lawsuit alleging she was promoted and paid less than white counterparts while being forced to endure colleagues' racial insensitivity and sexual misconduct, according to D.C. federal court filings.

  • March 11, 2025

    9th Circ. Panel Won't Renew Wash. Nurse's Employment Suit

    A Ninth Circuit Panel has declined to revive a nurse's employment suit against the University of Washington Medical Center, finding a poor performance review wasn't enough to form the basis of a discrimination claim against the Seattle hospital.

  • March 11, 2025

    Car Dealership Settles Salesman's Race, Disability Bias Suit

    A BMW dealership has struck a deal with a Black former salesperson to close his suit claiming the business yanked his business leads out of racial and disability bias after he requested to wear footwear that aided his diabetes, according to a Pennsylvania federal court filing.

  • March 11, 2025

    Netflix Gets 'Surviving R. Kelly' Libel Suit Tossed, For Now

    Netflix Inc. and Lifetime Entertainment Services won dismissal Tuesday of a defamation lawsuit alleging the latest iteration of their hit documentary series "Surviving R. Kelly" defamed a former assistant to the now-imprisoned R&B singer, although a Delaware federal judge gave the plaintiff another shot at pleading actual malice.

  • March 11, 2025

    Auto Parts Co. Says EEOC Failed To Discuss Sex Bias Claims

    An auto parts manufacturer urged a Tennessee federal court Tuesday to toss the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's suit alleging the company favored men in hiring decisions and failed to promote qualified women, saying the agency didn't first try to discuss the allegations with the company before suing it.

  • March 11, 2025

    Ex-EEOC Chair Dhillon Nominated To Lead Pension Corp.

    President Donald Trump on Tuesday tapped Janet Dhillon, a former U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission chair and commissioner, to lead the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.

  • March 11, 2025

    Appeals Court Nixes Ex-UCLA Worker's Promotion Bias Suit

    A Persian worker who served as interim director of UCLA's continuing education center's marketing department failed to show the school violated the law when it hired someone else as the department's permanent leader, a California appeals court held.

Expert Analysis

  • Parsing EEOC Guidance On Accommodating Low Vision

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    Employers need to examine recent Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance on provisions for employees who are blind or partially sighted, particularly on the consequences of terminating an employee with blindness or low vision without meeting obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, says Amy Epstein Gluck at FisherBroyles.

  • 5 Tips For Employers Handling Generative AI Privacy Risks

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    Employers should carefully consider the privacy implications of using generative artificial intelligence tools, and employ steps to mitigate the risks, such as de-identifying data, providing notice and identifying data flows, say Zoe Argento and Amy Kabaria at Littler.

  • Water Cooler Talk: 'The Bear' Serves Up Advice For Managers

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    Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs at Troutman Pepper chat with Ernst & Young’s Laura Yehuda about Hulu's "The Bear" and the best practices managers can glean from the show's portrayal of workplace challenges, including those faced by young, female managers.

  • Recalling USWNT's Legal PR Playbook Amid World Cup Bid

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    As the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team strives to take home another World Cup trophy, their 2022 pay equity settlement with the U.S. Soccer Federation serves as a good reminder that winning in the court of public opinion can be more powerful than a victory inside the courtroom, says Hector Valle at Vianovo.

  • Mass. Age Bias Ruling Holds Employer Liability Lessons

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    The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s recent ruling in Adams v. Schneider Electric — upholding a laid-off employee’s age discrimination claim — is an important reminder that employers may face liability even if a decision maker unknowingly applies a discriminatory corporate strategy, say attorneys at Armstrong Teasdale.

  • Regulating AI: Litigation Questions And State Efforts To Watch

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    In view of the developing legal and regulatory framework for artificial intelligence systems in the U.S., including state legislation and early federal litigation, there are practical takeaways as we look toward the future, says Jennifer Maisel at Rothwell Figg.

  • Regulating AI: An Overview Of Federal Efforts

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    The U.S. has been carefully managing a national policy and regulatory ecosystem toward artificial intelligence, but as AI technology continues to expand into our everyday lives, so too has its risks and the need for regulation, says Jennifer Maisel at Rothwell Figg.

  • Justices' Job Transfer Review Should Hold To Title VII Text

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming decision in Muldrow v. City of St. Louis should hold that a job transfer can be an adverse employment action, and the analysis should be based on the straightforward language of Title VII rather than judicial activism, say Lynne Bernabei and Alan Kabat at Bernabei & Kabat.

  • Employer Tips For Fighting Back Against Explosive Verdicts

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    Massive jury verdicts are a product of our time, driven in part by reptile tactics, but employers can build a strategic defense to mitigate the risk of a runaway jury, and develop tools to seek judicial relief in the event of an adverse outcome, say Dawn Solowey and Lynn Kappelman at Seyfarth.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: Changing Status Quo In A Union Shop

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    A recent administrative law decision concerning a dispute between Fortune Media and the NewsGuild of New York is an important reminder to employers with unionized workforces to refrain from making unilateral updates to employee handbooks that will change the terms and conditions of employment, says Jennifer Hataway at Butler Snow.

  • What EEOC's 2023 Stats Mean For Future Enforcement

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    The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s unusual burst of spring lawsuits and its new Democratic majority should cue employers and HR personnel to expect EEOC enforcement activity to ramp up to pre-pandemic rates, especially in regions where filings are on the rise and in those areas the agency appears to be targeting, such as workplace discrimination, say Andrew Scroggins and James Nasiri at Seyfarth Shaw.

  • Eye On Compliance: A Shift In Religious Accommodation Law

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    The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Groff v. DeJoy is making it more difficult for employers to deny religious accommodations, and there are three takeaways employers should keep in mind, say William Cook and Matthew High at Wilson Elser.

  • Tick Tock: When Punctuality Raises Employee ADA Questions

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    A recent viral TikTok video — where a user claims they were disrespected by a potential employer when inquiring about accommodations for difficulty with being on time — shows that even in the most seemingly questionable situations, there may be legitimate issues that require Americans with Disabilities Act considerations, says Daniel Pasternak at Squire Patton.