Discrimination
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March 31, 2025
Levi Strauss 'Sandbagged' By Bias Case Witness, Court Told
Levi Strauss urged the California federal judge overseeing a former marketing director's sex-discrimination suit to exclude the woman's therapist from testifying at trial about the alleged emotional distress she suffered while employed by the denim manufacturer, saying Monday that the company was "sandbagged" at the last minute with the witness.
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March 31, 2025
Ex-Starbucks Barista Can't Reopen Age, Disability Bias Suit
A trial court didn't misstep when it asked jurors to fix an inconsistent verdict in a lawsuit claiming Starbucks fired a barista because he was in his 50s and had a neck injury, the Ninth Circuit ruled Monday, refusing the worker's bid to upend the coffee giant's jury win.
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March 31, 2025
Car Auction Co. Pays $175K To End EEOC Race Bias Suit
A car auction company has agreed to pay a Black former worker $175,000 to close a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming leadership failed to step in when he complained that colleagues regularly called him racial slurs, sometimes more than a dozen times a day.
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March 31, 2025
Ex-Bridgewater Execs Forced To Arbitrate Discrimination Suit
A Connecticut federal judge on Monday agreed to force arbitration of a dispute from two former Bridgewater Associates LP executives alleging discrimination against the multibillion-dollar asset management firm.
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March 31, 2025
US Steel Beats Fired Medical Pot Patient's Fed. ADA Fight
A Pennsylvania federal judge on Friday granted U.S. Steel summary judgment on a medical cannabis patient's Americans with Disabilities Act claims in a lawsuit alleging the steel giant wrongfully fired him for his medical marijuana license and off-the-job marijuana use.
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March 31, 2025
10th Circ. Hands Server New Trial In Sexual Harassment Case
The Tenth Circuit granted a former server a new trial Monday on her sexual harassment and retaliation claims against a golf club restaurant, citing "puzzling" jury findings that cleared the restaurant of wrongdoing but awarded the server $125,000 in damages.
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March 31, 2025
Judge Says Ga. School's Bias Defenses 'Odd' And 'Odder'
A Georgia chiropractic school must face a former groundskeeper's claims that he was fired on bogus grounds because he reported his boss for helping his girlfriend steal company time, after a federal judge dinged the school Monday for the "weakness" of its defenses and suggested it may have falsified records to justify the worker's ouster.
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March 31, 2025
Workplace Misconduct Infrequent In Fed. Courts, Survey Says
The vast majority of federal judiciary employees say they have not experienced discrimination, harassment or abuse at work, but many of those workers are still reluctant to report misconduct when they do experience it, according to a report issued Monday.
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March 31, 2025
DOL Taps ZipRecruiter Alum As Chief Economist
The U.S. Department of Labor announced Monday that it has appointed a former top analyst for ZipRecruiter as its chief economist.
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March 31, 2025
Paramount Escapes 'Dexter' COVID Safety Worker's Bias Suit
A New York federal judge threw out a COVID-19 safety worker's suit accusing Paramount Global of undermining and firing her because she's an older woman, saying she failed to rebut the "Dexter" producer's argument that she was fired because she was "toxic" and a poor performer.
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March 31, 2025
Judge Won't Let Wells Fargo Duck Bulk Of $22M ADA Verdict
A North Carolina federal judge on Monday mostly kept intact a $22.1 million Americans with Disabilities Act verdict against Wells Fargo, though he did agree to lower the jury's punitive damages, which he said exceeded the statutory cap.
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March 31, 2025
Kirkland Slims Bias Suit But Can't Nix Caregiver Claim
Kirkland & Ellis LLP must face a former technology analyst's claim that his boss unlawfully changed his schedule despite knowing that would interfere with his child care responsibilities, a D.C. federal judge ruled Monday, tossing hostile work environment allegations but letting a caregiver bias count move ahead.
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March 31, 2025
J&J, Scientist Resolve Pregnancy Discrimination Suit
Johnson & Johnson agreed to settle a former senior scientist's suit claiming she was fired after she announced her pregnancy so the pharmaceutical company could avoid paying her while on maternity leave, according to a filing in New Jersey federal court.
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March 31, 2025
Ex-Workday Atty's Bias Claims Axed, Stock Dispute Kept Alive
A California federal judge tossed a Black ex-Workday attorney's claims that he endured race and disability bias that culminated in the software vendor sending police to his house to conduct an unnecessary wellness check, but the judge allowed the attorney pursue claims that he was shorted on stock options.
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March 31, 2025
DC Police Look To Sink Gay Cop's Parental Leave Suit
A gay police officer's suit alleging he was placed in a less desirable position after returning from parental leave should be thrown out, the Washington, D.C., police department told a federal court, saying he can't show that his new role was worse than his previous one.
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March 28, 2025
Ga. Housing Authority, Former Worker End Retaliation Claims
Both parties asked a Georgia federal court Friday to toss a former executive director's claims that she was fired by the Housing Authority of Fulton County, Georgia, after reporting her experiences of sexual harassment, saying they had reached a settlement.
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March 28, 2025
FCC Chief Orders Probe Into Disney, ABC DEI Practices
The Federal Communications Commission's leader ordered on Friday a probe into Walt Disney Co. and its ABC network over their efforts to be diverse and inclusive, following similar FCC investigations into Comcast and NBCUniversal.
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March 28, 2025
States Urge Justices To Skip Teacher Grants Case
California, New York and six other states told the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday it doesn't need to weigh in on the validity of a Massachusetts federal judge's order reinstating $250 million in teacher training grants the Trump administration targeted for cuts, noting the dispute will soon be moot.
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March 28, 2025
Employment Lawyers' Weekly DEI Cheat Sheet
Jenner & Block LLP and WilmerHale convinced federal judges to put holds on executive orders that that targeted them over past legal work and their diversity, equity and inclusion practices, while Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP struck a deal with the Trump administration. Here, Law360 provides a rundown of notable DEI-related legal developments from the past week.
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March 28, 2025
Ex-Chicago Firefighter's Vaccine Bias Suit Fails, For Now
The city of Chicago dodged a former firefighter's lawsuit claiming he was fired for not complying with the city's COVID-19 vaccination policy after being given a religious exemption, with an Illinois federal judge ruling Friday he failed to show he was also exempt from the policy's testing requirement.
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March 28, 2025
NY Forecast: 2nd Circ. Weighs City Worker's Free Speech Suit
This week, the Second Circuit will consider an attempt from the former city planner for Newburgh, New York, to revive her lawsuit claiming she was fired for advocating that the city adopt antiracism policies for the city's housing initiatives.
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March 28, 2025
Judge Sides With Ga. County In DOJ's Racial Slur Suit
A Georgia federal judge has ended federal prosecutors' suit against a Georgia county claiming it fired two Black employees after they complained of racist treatment from co-workers, finding there was nothing pretextual about their termination for stealing time with bogus reports.
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March 28, 2025
NJ Says Banking Dept. Retaliation Suit Still Lacks Facts
New Jersey urged a state court to dismiss a discrimination and retaliation suit from a former acting director at the state's Department of Banking and Insurance, arguing she hasn't backed her claims she was paid less than her male counterparts and lost out on a promotion due to her gender.
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March 28, 2025
Ex-Deputy Wins $250K In Retaliation Suit Over Bias Charge
A Florida federal jury awarded a former sheriff's deputy $250,000 in his suit claiming he was fired in retaliation for filing a bias charge against the office, claiming it failed to let him take leave for a disability and wear an Islamic cap in accordance with his religious beliefs.
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March 28, 2025
2nd Judge Grants Injunction Against DOD's Transgender Ban
A Washington state federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's ban on transgender troops following a similar move by a federal judge in Washington, D.C., finding that the prohibition blatantly discriminates based on gender status and sex without any justifying evidence.
Expert Analysis
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The Shifting Landscape Of Physician Disciplinary Proceedings
Though hospitals have historically been able to terminate doctors' medical staff privileges without fear of court interference, recent case law has demonstrated that the tides are turning, especially when there is evidence of unlawful motivations, say Dylan Newton and Michael Horn at Archer & Greiner.
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Anti-DEI Complaints Filed With EEOC Carry No Legal Weight
Recently filed complaints against several companies' diversity, equity and inclusion programs alleging unlawful discrimination against white people do not require a response from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and should not stop employers from rooting out ongoing discriminatory practices, says former EEOC general counsel David Lopez.
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How DEI Programs Are Being Challenged In Court And Beyond
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's affirmative action decision last year declaring the consideration of race in university admissions unconstitutional, employers should keep abreast of recent litigation challenging diversity, equity and inclusion training programs, as well as legislation both supporting and opposing DEI initiatives in the workplace, say attorneys at Skadden.
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What Minority Biz Law Ruling Could Mean For Private DEI
A Texas federal court’s recent decision to strike down key provisions of the Minority Business Development Act illustrates the wide-reaching effects of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard decision across legal contexts, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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Texas Hair Bias Ruling Does Not Give Employers A Pass
A Texas state court’s recent decision, holding that a school could discipline a student with locs for refusing to cut his hair, should not be interpreted by employers as a license to implement potentially discriminatory grooming policies, says Dawn Holiday at Jackson Walker.
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Broadway Ruling Puts Discrimination Claims In The Limelight
A New York federal court's recent decision in Moore v. Hadestown Broadway that the employers' choice to replace a Black actor with a white actor was shielded by the First Amendment is the latest in a handful of rulings zealously protecting hiring decisions in casting, say Anthony Oncidi and Dixie Morrison at Proskauer.
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Breaking Down California's New Workplace Violence Law
Ilana Morady and Patrick Joyce at Seyfarth discuss several aspects of a new California law that requires employers to create and implement workplace violence prevention plans, including who is covered and the recordkeeping and training requirements that must be in place before the law goes into effect on July 1.
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Studying NY, NJ Case Law On Employee Social Media Rights
While a New Jersey state appeals court has twice determined that an employee's termination by a private employer for social media posts is not prohibited, New York has yet to take a stand on the issue — so employers' decisions on such matters still need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis, say Julie Levinson Werner and Jessica Kriegsfeld at Lowenstein Sandler.
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Eye On Compliance: Employee Social Media Privacy In NY
A New York law that recently took effect restricts employers' ability to access the personal social media accounts of employees and job applicants, signifying an increasing awareness of the need to balance employers' interests with worker privacy and free speech rights, says Madjeen Garcon-Bonneau at Wilson Elser.
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Draft Pay Equity Rule May Pose Contractor Compliance Snags
The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council's recently proposed rule that would prohibit government contractors from requesting certain job applicants' salary history seems simple on the surface, but achieving compliance will be a nuanced affair for many contractors who must also adhere to state and local pay transparency laws, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.
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What Texas Employers Should Know After PWFA Ruling
After a Texas federal judge recently enjoined federal agencies from enforcing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act against the state of Texas, all employers must still remain sensitive to local, state and federal protections for pregnant workers, and proactive in their approach to pregnancy-related accommodations, says Maritza Sanchez at Phelps Dunbar.
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AI In Performance Management: Mitigating Employer Risk
Companies are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence tools in performance management, exposing organizations to significant risks, which they can manage through employee training, bias assessments, and comprehensive policies and procedures related to the new technology, say Gregory Brown and Cindy Huang at Jackson Lewis.
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Spartan Arbitration Tactics Against Well-Funded Opponents
Like the ancient Spartans who held off a numerically superior Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae, trial attorneys and clients faced with arbitration against an opponent with a bigger war chest can take a strategic approach to create a pass to victory, say Kostas Katsiris and Benjamin Argyle at Venable.