Discrimination

  • October 08, 2025

    Welder Asks Fla. High Court To Revive Whistleblower Claims

    A welder mechanic asked the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday to revive his whistleblower retaliation claims against his former employer, Gulf Power Co., arguing that state law requires only that he reasonably believed a violation of law or regulation occurred, not that he have to prove an actual violation.

  • October 08, 2025

    3rd Circ. Upholds Ruling In Debt Collector's Trade Secrets Suit

    A Third Circuit let stand a ruling that work passwords are not trade secrets and that the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act is inapplicable to workplace policy violations in an appeal from a debt collection company suing two former employees.

  • October 08, 2025

    High Court Won't Hear Challenge To Seattle's Caste Bias Ban

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a challenge to Seattle's ban on caste discrimination, turning away a former resident's claims that the ordinance violated the rights of South Asians and Hindus.

  • October 08, 2025

    7th Circ. Backs DePaul In Ex-Instructor's Race Bias Suit

    The Seventh Circuit on Wednesday upheld DePaul University's win over a former religious studies instructor's suit claiming he wasn't rehired because he's Arab American, finding he couldn't overcome the school's explanation that he was let go because of allegations he'd sexually assaulted a student.

  • October 08, 2025

    Black Atty Hits Ga. Public Defender Council With Bias Suit

    The Georgia Public Defender Council and chief public defender in the Atlanta Judicial Circuit were sued by a former assistant public defender who claimed he was fired and faced an "unwarranted" bar complaint after expressing concerns about a demotion that would deprive his unit of its "sole Black male attorney."

  • October 08, 2025

    Georgia Public Defender's Office Must Face Atty's Bias Suit

    A Georgia federal judge on Tuesday allowed an attorney's claims of race and gender bias against the Chattahoochee Circuit Public Defender's Office and its leader to move forward, but dismissed claims against the state's Public Defender Standards Council and its leader.

  • October 08, 2025

    7th Circ. Won't Rethink Reviving Christian Teacher's Bias Suit

    The Seventh Circuit declined a school district's invitation to revisit a panel opinion that reinstated a religious bias suit from a Christian teacher who said he was forced to quit because he wouldn't refer to transgender students by their preferred names.

  • October 07, 2025

    NY Appeals Court Nixes Chris Cuomo's Arbitrator Bias Claim

    Ex-CNN anchor Chris Cuomo on Tuesday could not convince a New York appeals court to revive his bid to disqualify the JAMS arbitrator overseeing his $125 million unlawful termination claim against CNN due to the arbitrator's representation of the news network more than two decades ago.

  • October 07, 2025

    9th Circ. Rejects 'Kitchen Sink' Challenge To Vaccine Mandate

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Monday upheld a lower court's rejection of a lawsuit brought by dozens of former employees of a nonprofit healthcare system who claimed Washington state's requirement that healthcare workers be vaccinated against COVID-19 violated their statutory and constitutional rights.

  • October 07, 2025

    9th Circ. Ruling Endorses Broad Approach To Age Bias Claims

    The Ninth Circuit's reinstatement of an age discrimination lawsuit against a convenience store chain upended a trial judge's strict take on the rules for pursuing such cases, a development that means courts and litigants should take a comprehensive view when assessing the viability of older workers' bias claims, experts said.

  • October 07, 2025

    9th Circ. Cuts Atty Fee Award In Cop's Retaliation Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday slashed an approximately $600,000 attorney fee award in a city police officer's retaliation case, saying a trial court's adjustment based on the supposed risk plaintiff's counsel assumed by taking on the lawsuit contributed to a $200,000 miscalculation.

  • October 07, 2025

    5th Circ. Upends $8M Race Bias Win For Black City Manager

    The Fifth Circuit scrapped an $8 million verdict Tuesday for a Black city manager in his racial bias case against the Texas municipality that fired him, unpersuaded that discrimination played any role in the city's effort to recoup his $400,000 severance package.

  • October 07, 2025

    Senate Confirms Trump's Pick For EEOC, Restoring Quorum

    The Senate voted along party lines Tuesday to confirm an assistant U.S. attorney to serve on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, restoring the agency to its full decision-making capacity after months without a quorum.

  • October 07, 2025

    NC Housing Authority Fights $2.3M Hostile Workplace Verdict

    The public housing authority in Charlotte, North Carolina, said a jury should never have heard evidence about alleged discrimination in one of its programs during a former coordinator's hostile work environment trial, telling a federal judge to reverse the $2.3 million verdict or order a new trial.

  • October 07, 2025

    Ex-Reed Smith Atty Says NJ Pay Bias Law Goes Back 6 Years

    A former Reed Smith LLP attorney suing the firm for gender discrimination told a New Jersey appeals court Tuesday that a 2018 equal pay law was intended by the Legislature to be a "game changer" and be applied retroactively, expanding the scope of her claims.

  • October 07, 2025

    Walgreens Seeks Atty Sanctions For 'Baseless' Claims

    Walgreens has called on a Georgia federal judge to slap sanctions on counsel for a former pharmacist suing the chain for discrimination, arguing that she should pay for the company's efforts to dismiss a handful of claims with "no legal basis" after her attorney refused to voluntarily drop them.

  • October 07, 2025

    Accenture Settles With Worker Who Blamed His Firing On DEI

    Consulting firm Accenture has agreed to resolve a sex bias suit from a former employee who alleged that the company declined to promote him and eventually fired him so it could advance less experienced women to achieve gender parity goals, according to an Illinois federal court filing.

  • October 07, 2025

    Air Medic Ends EEOC Disability Bias Suit Over Nixed Job Offer

    A helicopter ambulance company has agreed to pay an air mechanic $59,000 to resolve a disability bias suit in an Alabama federal court from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging the business yanked back a job transfer offer because the worker was prescribed opioids.

  • October 06, 2025

    Ex-USAID Contractors Call Trump Cuts Political Retaliation

    Former contractors employed by the U.S. Agency for International Development claim their contracts were unlawfully terminated en masse because the Trump administration believed their work functioned as "indirect financial support for the Democratic Party," according to a lawsuit filed in the Court of Federal Claims.

  • October 06, 2025

    Morgan Stanley Race Bias Suit In NY Closed After Settlement

    A decade-old suit accusing Morgan Stanley of discriminating against its African American financial advisers and depriving them of lucrative opportunities has come to a close after the final plaintiff reached a settlement with the financial institution.

  • October 06, 2025

    2nd Circ. Declines To Reconsider NFL Arbitration Decision

    The Second Circuit on Monday declined the NFL's request to reconsider its finding that the league offers arbitration "in name only" and that it cannot force fired Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores to arbitrate his racial discrimination claims.

  • October 06, 2025

    6th Circ. Backs Firing Over Graffiti, Rejects Bias Claims

    The Sixth Circuit on Monday upheld the dismissal of a fired delivery driver's claim that his employer used allegations he painted crass graffiti on trusses as a facade to let him go for making a disability claim, finding no strong link between his workers' compensation request and his later termination.

  • October 06, 2025

    Amtrak Settles Black Worker's Bias Suit Alleging Union Snubs

    Amtrak and a labor union have agreed to settle a Black conductor's suit alleging she was blocked from securing senior union committee assignments out of bias against her race, age and gender, according to a Monday docket entry in Connecticut federal court.

  • October 06, 2025

    Meta Accused Of Retaliation In Pregnancy Discrimination Suit

    A former manager for Meta claims in a lawsuit filed in California federal court Friday that the company discriminated against her for pregnancy-related leave, giving her unfair reviews and overloading her with work before firing her weeks after she reported bias to the human resources department.

  • October 06, 2025

    Ex-Aldi Employee Accuses Grocery Chain Of Retaliation

    Supermarket chain Aldi targeted and wrongfully fired a former risk analyst because of her disability that at times caused her to have anxiety attacks, according to a lawsuit in Illinois federal court.

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.