Discrimination

  • February 13, 2025

    Dem AGs Urge Companies To Keep DEI Programs In Place

    A coalition of 16 Democratic state attorneys general told companies Thursday not to immediately scrap programs meant to promote diversity, equity and inclusion within their organizations, saying these initiatives are largely legal despite threats from President Donald Trump's administration.

  • February 13, 2025

    Judge Extends Restraining Order On USAID Gutting

    A D.C. federal judge extended his temporary restraining order barring USAID from placing thousands of employees on administrative leave for another week on Thursday, saying he needed more time to rule on the plaintiff employees unions' preliminary injunction request to stop the agency's overhaul while the case proceeds.

  • February 13, 2025

    4th Circ. Won't Revive Ex-Finance Co. Worker's Age Bias Suit

    The Fourth Circuit declined Thursday to revive a suit from a sales manager who claimed he was unlawfully fired from a financial services company after complaining about age bias, rejecting his argument that the lower court overlooked retaliatory moves by the business.

  • February 13, 2025

    Old Dominion Worker's Gender-Affirming Care Suit Dropped

    A transgender woman participating in an Old Dominion employee health plan agreed to drop her suit alleging she was wrongly denied gender-affirming care coverage for facial hair removal after a Washington federal judge dismissed the case in January, citing a settlement of the dispute.

  • February 13, 2025

    Black Illinois Cop Wins $2.75M At Trial In Retaliation Battle

    An Illinois federal jury awarded $2.75 million in damages to a Black master sergeant for the Illinois State Police after finding he was hit with a negative performance review, placed on an employee improvement plan, reprimanded and suspended for complaining of race discrimination.

  • February 13, 2025

    'Two Sexes' Order Sinks EEOC Suit Over Nonbinary Worker

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission asked a federal judge Thursday to dismiss its suit claiming a hotel operator unlawfully fired a nonbinary worker, pointing to President Donald Trump's executive order declaring that the government recognizes only two sexes.

  • February 13, 2025

    Tech Axed For Flagging Trans Worker's Harassment, Suit Says

    A live event audiovisual equipment provider blacklisted a female lighting technician because she complained that a transgender colleague had repeatedly sexually harassed her in the women's bathroom during a Trans-Siberian Orchestra tour, according to a lawsuit filed in Texas state court.

  • February 13, 2025

    Ga. Plant Boss Accused Of Trying To Bribe Opposing Counsel

    The director of a Georgia plastics manufacturing plant has been accused of offering to pay the attorney representing a brother and sister in a federal discrimination lawsuit in exchange for a quick settlement, with the siblings claiming the defendant's "assertions are tantamount to bribery and fraud."

  • February 13, 2025

    Amazon Worker's $1.6M Fee Bid Slashed In Military Bias Suit

    A Washington federal judge awarded an Amazon worker a fraction of the $1.6 million in attorney fees he requested in his recently settled suit claiming the company blocked him from promotions due to his military service, finding the outcome of the case didn't warrant an amount that high.

  • February 13, 2025

    Cargo Handling Co. Agrees To End EEOC Hearing Bias Suit

    An airline cargo handling services company will pay $70,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming it unlawfully rejected a deaf job applicant based on outdated assumptions that he couldn't safely perform a warehouse job, according to Illinois federal court filings.

  • February 13, 2025

    6th Circ. Won't Revive Ex-Professor's Promotion Bias Suit

    The Sixth Circuit stood by a lower court's ruling against a Black former English professor at Delta College in her promotion bias suit, ruling that she failed to provide meaningful evidence that she was passed over for a promotion because of her race and her pro-unionization sentiments.

  • February 13, 2025

    Ex-DraftKings Engineer Wants Parental Leave Suit Kept In Play

    A former DraftKings engineer asked a Massachusetts federal court not to toss his suit accusing the company of firing him the day after he asked to take parental leave, saying he can benefit from a Massachusetts paid leave law despite living in Wisconsin.

  • February 12, 2025

    Calif. Panel Upends Bakery's Bias Suit Win Over Gay Wedding

    A California appeals court on Tuesday reversed a California bakery's trial court victory in a discrimination lawsuit challenging its refusal to sell a wedding cake to a lesbian couple, finding that a wedding cake design standard the bakery had leaned on was facially discriminatory.

  • February 12, 2025

    UPS Gets New Trial As Judge Voids Driver's Reduced Verdict

    A Washington federal judge who previously slashed a former UPS worker's employment case win from $238 million to $40 million granted the employer's bid for a new trial Wednesday, concluding that the plaintiff's counsel repeatedly shared inadmissible evidence with jurors.

  • February 12, 2025

    Trump's Trans Sports Ban Challenged In New Hampshire Suit

    President Donald Trump's executive order banning transgender individuals from competing in women's sports was hit with its first court challenge Wednesday, as two New Hampshire trans teenagers added the federal government to their lawsuit challenging a similar state-level policy.

  • February 12, 2025

    FCC Chief Says Comcast To Be Probed For Supporting DEI

    The FCC's new leader is going after Comcast and NBCUniversal for their efforts to be diverse and inclusive, revealing Wednesday that he had directed the agency to open an investigation into the pair of companies to ensure they aren't "promoting invidious forms of discrimination."

  • February 12, 2025

    11th Circ. Upholds Win For Smucker's In Worker's Bias Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday affirmed a ruling freeing J.M. Smucker Co. and Big Heart Pet Brands from a technician's suit alleging she was unfairly held to a higher standard at work and punished more severely in regard to policy violations because she is a Black woman.

  • February 12, 2025

    Calif. Captive Meeting Law Can't Be Enforced, Nonprofit Says

    A California law prohibiting so-called captive audience meetings infringes on an employer's First Amendment right to freely talk with workers about religious or political issues, a nonprofit focused on state policy argued in federal court, calling for a halt to the statute's enforcement.

  • February 12, 2025

    Jurisdiction Dooms Federal Russell Simmons Sex Assault Suit

    A Manhattan federal judge has dismissed a suit accusing music producer and Def Jam Recordings co-founder Russell Simmons of sexual assault, saying Simmons is now a permanent resident of Indonesia over whom the court has no jurisdiction, though the plaintiff plans to refile the claims in state court.

  • February 12, 2025

    Foley Hoag Must Face Bulk Of Worker's Bias, Wage Suit

    A New York federal judge largely denied Foley Hoag LLP's bid to partially escape a Moldovan former employee's lawsuit, saying Wednesday he put forward enough information to back up his claims that the firm discriminated against him because of his Russian heritage and disability.

  • February 12, 2025

    United Airlines Asks Texas Judge To Toss COVID Vaccine Suit

    United Airlines has asked a Texas federal judge to toss a "mass action" filed by roughly 700 current and former workers accusing the airline of discriminating against employees who resisted COVID-19 vaccination, saying most of the plaintiffs lack jurisdiction.

  • February 12, 2025

    Red Cross Can't Knock Out Vax Refuser's Religious Bias Suit

    A Michigan federal judge declined Wednesday to declare a victor in a suit from a Christian nurse who claimed the American Red Cross unlawfully fired her for rejecting its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, saying the case — which was recently revived by the Sixth Circuit — should go to a jury.

  • February 12, 2025

    Nike Asks 9th Circ. To Claw Back Workplace Harassment Docs

    A lawyer for Nike urged a Ninth Circuit panel on Wednesday to block an Oregon local newspaper from publishing workplace harassment questionnaires provided by plaintiffs' attorney in pay equity litigation against the athletic apparel giant.

  • February 12, 2025

    Attorneys Feeling Impact Of Policy, Leadership Shifts At EEOC

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's acting chair said a recent leadership shakeup at the agency hasn't impeded its routine functions, but employment attorneys say they've seen a general slowdown in EEOC investigations and a clear deprioritization of LGBTQ+ discrimination matters.

  • February 12, 2025

    Security Co. Inks $1.6M Deal To End EEOC Hiring Bias Suit

    A security company has agreed to pay $1.6 million to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming it hired underqualified men for security officer jobs while turning away female applicants, according to a federal court filing Wednesday.

Expert Analysis

  • What To Watch As Justices Take Up Title VII Job Transfer Case

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    With its recent decision to hear Muldrow v. City of St. Louis, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether an involuntary job transfer can count as employment discrimination under Title VII — an eventual ruling that has potential to reshape workplace bias claims nationwide, says Adam Grogan at Bell Law Group.

  • 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.