Discrimination

  • October 28, 2025

    Caesars Gets Ex-Worker's OT Claims Cut From Race Bias Suit

    A Virginia federal judge Tuesday trimmed a Black former casino manager's lawsuit alleging he was fired for complaining that a colleague belittled him and used racial epithets, ruling that claims that Caesars shorted his overtime pay were filed too late.

  • October 28, 2025

    Full 5th Circ. To Rehear West Texas A&M Drag Ban Case

    The full Fifth Circuit has agreed to rehear an LGBTQ+ student organization's challenge to the West Texas A&M University's ban on campus drag shows, after a split panel in August tossed a decision allowing the university to continue its ban.

  • October 28, 2025

    EEOC Gets Back Quorum It Lost After January Firings

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regained full decision-making power Monday when a Republican appointee and former assistant U.S. attorney was sworn in as a commissioner.

  • October 28, 2025

    Patient Complaints Doom Fired Doc's Bias Suit, 2nd Circ. Says

    The Second Circuit refused Tuesday to revive a gender and age bias suit from a doctor who claimed an orthopedic practice unlawfully fired her, ruling she couldn't overcome evidence that patient complaints and her refusal to sign a new employment contract caused her termination.

  • October 27, 2025

    3rd Circ. Hints NJ Bias Law Standard No Longer Viable

    A Third Circuit panel appeared poised on Monday to reconsider the viability of the "background circumstances" test under New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination as it weighed a white former police officer's bid to revive his discrimination case through the lens of recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent in cases brought by majority-group plaintiffs.

  • October 27, 2025

    Judge OKs $2.4M PeopleFacts Background Checks Deal

    A Michigan federal judge Monday approved a $2.4 million settlement that PeopleFacts reached with a class of job-seekers whose criminal history was disclosed to potential employers, after those prospective workers had accused the background check company of making such disclosures without providing necessary notice.

  • October 27, 2025

    Healthcare Workers Face Skeptical Courts In COVID-19 Fights

    A recent influx of rulings in religious discrimination cases workers brought over COVID-19 safety mandates reveal that healthcare providers, in particular, are encountering a more sympathetic judiciary when defending their strict enforcement of pandemic-era protocols.

  • October 27, 2025

    Wash. AG Tells 9th Circ. Seattle DEI Policies Protect Workers

    The Washington state attorney general joined several voices urging the Ninth Circuit to back Seattle's defeat of a white former employee's lawsuit challenging the city's diversity, equity and inclusion programs, arguing that thoughtful diversity initiatives "uplift," rather than violate, the law.

  • October 27, 2025

    NC Fire Chief Settles Race Bias Suit, For Real This Time

    A Charlotte, North Carolina, fire chief says he has reached a settlement with the city over his claims of racial bias, years after he thought the deal was done the first time.

  • October 27, 2025

    Colo. Doctor Sues Ex-Employer For Disability Discrimination

    A Colorado emergency physician has filed a discrimination lawsuit against his former employer, alleging the healthcare provider terminated him because of his disability and accommodation requests.

  • October 27, 2025

    11th Circ. Backs Fla. School Board In Worker's Race Bias Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit declined Monday to revive an Asian worker's suit alleging a Florida school board blocked him from applying for an internal role, saying he failed to show that unlawful reasons drove the board to hire someone else for the job.

  • October 27, 2025

    NC District Attorney Pans Race Bias Lawsuit As 'Inflammatory'

    A Black assistant district attorney's race bias lawsuit accusing her boss of discriminating against her should be tossed as the assistant DA failed to show she was an "employee" under Title VII, nor did she allege enough to underpin her retaliation claims, a North Carolina federal court was told.

  • October 27, 2025

    Former Emirates Workers Demand Class Cert. In Layoff Suit

    Emirates' arguments against class certification for a suit accusing the airline of discriminating against American employees during layoffs in 2020 highlight that workers share common issues, a group of former employees told a New York federal court.

  • October 27, 2025

    'Terrifier' Actor Sues Filmmakers Over Royalties, Nude Scene

    An actor from the first "Terrifier" movie sued the filmmakers in California federal court Sunday, saying she is potentially owed millions of dollars in royalties and was subjected to sexual harassment and unsafe conditions during filming, including performing a nude scene without consent.

  • October 27, 2025

    Baldoni Says Insurer Must Join Calif. Lively Coverage Dispute

    Justin Baldoni, the "It Ends With Us" lead and director facing sexual harassment claims from co-star Blake Lively, asked a New York federal court to dismiss an insurer's lawsuit seeking to avoid coverage, noting that he and other insureds have already filed a similar coverage action in California state court.

  • October 27, 2025

    Ex-EEOC Member's Suit Frozen While Justices Mull FTC Firing

    A D.C. federal judge put on hold a former U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission member's suit challenging her firing until the U.S. Supreme Court weighs in on President Donald Trump's authority to remove a federal trade commissioner.

  • October 27, 2025

    Houston Atty Rejoins Ogletree Deakins From In-House Role

    Management-side employment law firm Ogletree Deakins announced Monday that a Houston-based shareholder has returned to the firm after serving for more than a year as assistant general counsel to David Weekley Homes.

  • October 24, 2025

    DC Circ. Wonders If Prosecutor's Bias Suit Was Killed Early

    The D.C. Circuit may revive the discrimination claims of an assistant U.S. attorney in Washington who says she was given more work than her white male colleagues, not because the panel took much stock in her claims, but because the lower court improperly quashed them.

  • October 24, 2025

    Jury Awards $3.65M To Hotel Manager In Sex Harassment Suit

    A former assistant manager at a Howard Johnson in Queens, New York, was awarded $3.65 million in damages after a federal jury found the hotel violated state and city anti-harassment laws by failing to address her complaints about residents' violent behavior and sexual comments.

  • October 24, 2025

    Employment Lawyers' Weekly DEI Cheat Sheet

    A nonprofit sued the government seeking information about deals it made with law firms whose diversity, equity and inclusion policies the Trump administration called out as potentially unlawful, and local governments in Democratic-led states alleged that federal disaster relief funds are being unlawfully tied to DEI policies. Here, Law360 looks at notable DEI-related legal developments from the past week.

  • October 24, 2025

    3rd Circ. Revives Nonprofit's Bias Suit Over Permit Denial

    The Third Circuit on Friday revived an alcohol and substance abuse recovery nonprofit's disability bias suit against a New Jersey town, reasoning that the district court improperly denied the plaintiff the opportunity to refine its allegations that the municipality denied it a permit based on the nature of its operation.

  • October 24, 2025

    9th Circ. Backs Amazon Win In Fired Exec's Gender Bias Suit

    The Ninth Circuit declined Friday to revive a former Amazon executive's suit claiming she was fired for complaining that a male colleague received better pay, ruling her complaint lacked evidence that prejudice infected the company's compensation and promotion decisions.

  • October 24, 2025

    Ex-Denver Police Officer Alleges Racial Discrimination

    A former Denver police officer has filed a federal lawsuit against the city, alleging the Denver Police Department subjected him and other Black officers to systemic racial discrimination.

  • October 24, 2025

    Pa. County Beats Fired Prosecutor's Retaliation Suit

    A Pennsylvania county on Friday escaped a lawsuit from a former assistant district attorney who said he was fired for complaining that the district attorney was treating women and employees with disabilities more harshly than men, with a federal judge ruling the county wasn't his employer.

  • October 24, 2025

    Tribal Immunity Bars Breastfeeding Suit, 6th Circ. Affirms

    The Sixth Circuit backed the dismissal of a cook's suit alleging that a casino owned by a Native American community forced her to resign because she sought time to breastfeed her newborn, upholding the lower court's opinion that the casino's tribal ownership shields the business.

Expert Analysis

  • A Path Forward For Employers, Regardless Of DEI Stance

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    Whether a company views the Trump administration's executive orders ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs as a win or a loss, the change rearranges the employment hazards companies face, but not the non-DEI and nondiscriminatory economic incentive to seek the best workers, says Daniel S. Levy at Advanced Analytical Consulting Group.

  • Bias Suit Shows WNBA Growing Pains On Court And In Court

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    A newly filed disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against the Los Angeles Sparks is the latest in a series of employment discrimination disputes filed by WNBA professionals, highlighting teams' obligation to meet elevated workplace expectations and the league's role in facilitating an inclusive work environment, say attorneys at Michelman & Robinson.

  • 2 Areas Of Labor Law That May Change Under Trump

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    Based on President Donald Trump's recent moves, employers should expect to see significant changes in the direction of law coming out of the National Labor Relations Board, particularly in two areas where the Trump administration will seek to roll back the Biden NLRB's changes, says Daniel Johns at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Justices' Revival Ruling In Bias Suit Exceeds Procedural Issue

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Waetzig v. Halliburton allowed the plaintiff in an age discrimination lawsuit to move to reopen his case after arbitration, but the seemingly straightforward decision on a procedural issue raises complex questions for employment law practitioners, says Christopher Sakauye at Dykema.

  • Water Cooler Talk: 'Late Night' Shows DEI Is More Than Optics

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    Amid the shifting legal landscape for corporate diversity, equity and inclusion programs, Troutman's Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter chat with their firm's DEI committee chair, Nicole Edmonds, about how the 2019 film "Late Night" reflects the challenges and rewards of fostering meaningful inclusion.

  • 9 Considerations For Orgs Using AI Meeting Assistants

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    When deciding to use artificial intelligence meeting assistants, organizations must create and implement a written corporate policy that establishes the do's and don'ts for these assistants, taking into account individualized business operations, industry standards and legal and regulatory requirements, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • What's At Stake In High Court Transgender Care Suit

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    The outcome of U.S. v. Skrmetti will have critical implications for the rights of transgender youth and their access to gender-affirming care, and will likely affect other areas of law and policy involving transgender individuals, including education, employment, healthcare and civil rights, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Determining What 'I Don't Feel Safe' Means In The Workplace

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    When an employee tells an employer "I don't feel safe," the phrase can have different meanings, so employment lawyers must adequately investigate to identify which meaning applies — and a cursory review and dismissal of the situation may not be a sufficient defense in case of future legal proceedings, says Karen Elliott at FordHarrison.

  • How EEOC Enforcement Priorities May Change Under Trump

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    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has already been rocked by the Trump administration's dramatic changes in personnel and policy, which calls into question how the agency may shift its direction from the priorities set forth in its five-year strategic enforcement plan in 2023, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: Back To Basics After Admin Change

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    Having an up-to-date employee handbook is more critical now than ever, given the recent change in administration, and employers should understand their benefits and risks, including how they can limit employers’ liability and help retain employers’ rights, say Kasey Cappellano and Meaghan Gandy at Kutak Rock.

  • What Axed Title IX Gender Identity Rule Means For Higher Ed

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    Following a Kentucky federal court's recent decision in State of Tennessee v. Cardona to strike down a Biden-era rule that expanded the definition of Title IX to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity, institutions of higher education should prepare to reimplement policies that comply with the reinstated 2020 rule, say attorneys at Venable.

  • A Path Forward For Cos. Amid Trump's Anti-DEIA Efforts

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    Given the Trump administration’s recent efforts targeting corporate diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs — including threatening possible criminal prosecution — companies should carefully tailor their DEIA initiatives to comply with both the letter and the spirit of antidiscrimination law, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Workforce Data Collection Considerations After DEI Order

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    Following President Donald Trump's executive order targeting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, employers should balance the benefits of collecting demographic data with the risk of violating the order’s prohibition on "illegal DEI," say Lynn Clements at Berkshire Associates, David Cohen at DCI Consulting and Victoria Lipnic at Resolution Economics.