Discrimination

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • March 28, 2025

    Ill. Judge Blocks Trump's DEI Certification Mandate

    An Illinois federal judge has blocked the U.S. Department of Labor from requiring federal grant recipients to certify that they don't operate programs that violate President Donald Trump's recent executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, saying the mandate puts them "in a difficult and perhaps impossible position."

Expert Analysis

  • How The Tide Of EEOC Litigation Rolled Back In FY 2024

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    An analysis of the location, timing and underlying claims asserted in U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission-initiated cases during fiscal year 2024 shows that the commission saw a substantial decrease in litigation activity after a surge last year, but employers should not drop their guard, say Christopher DeGroff and Andrew Scroggins at Seyfarth.

  • The Key Changes In Revised FDIC Hiring Regulations

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    Attorneys at Ogletree break down the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s new rule, effective Oct. 1, that will ease restrictions on financial institutions hiring employees with criminal histories, amend the FDIC's treatment of minor offenses and clarify its stance on expunged or dismissed criminal records.

  • Employer Tips For PUMP Act Compliance As Law Turns 2

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    Enacted in December 2022, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act requires employers to provide reasonable break time and a private space for employees to express breast milk, but some companies may still be struggling with how to comply, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • What To Know About Ill. Employment Law Changes

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    Illinois employers should review their policies in light of a number of recent changes to state employment law, including amendments to the state’s Human Rights Act and modifications to the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act, say attorneys at Kilpatrick.

  • Mich. Whistleblower Ruling Expands Retaliation Remedies

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    The Michigan Supreme Court's recent Occupational Health and Safety Act decision in Stegall v. Resource Technology is important because it increases the potential exposure for defendants in public policy retaliation cases, providing plaintiffs with additional claims, say Aaron Burrell and Timothy Howlett at Dickinson Wright.

  • How States Are Approaching AI Workplace Discrimination

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    As legislators across the U.S. have begun addressing algorithmic discrimination in the workplace, attorneys at Reed Smith provide an overview of the status, applicability and provisions of 13 state and local bills.

  • The Risks Of Employee Political Discourse On Social Media

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    As election season enters its final stretch and employees increasingly engage in political speech on social media, employers should beware the liability risks and consider policies that negotiate the line between employees' rights and the limits on those rights, say Bradford Kelley and James McGehee at Littler.

  • 7th Circ. Rulings Offer Employee Vaccine Exemption Guidance

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    Dawn Solowey and Samantha Brooks at Seyfarth explain how two recent Seventh Circuit rulings in Passarella v. Aspirus and Bube v. Aspirus could affect litigation involving employee vaccine exemptions, and discuss employer best practices for handling accommodation requests that include both religious and secular concerns.

  • Employers Should Not Neglect Paid Military Leave Compliance

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    An August decision from the Ninth Circuit and the settlement of a long-running class action, both examining paid leave requirements under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, are part of a nationwide trend that should prompt employers to review their military leave policies to avoid potential litigation and reputational damage, says Bradford Kelley at Littler.

  • Old Employment Law Principles Can Answer New AI Concerns

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    Despite growing legal and regulatory concerns about how artificial intelligence tools may affect employment decisions and worker rights, companies should take comfort in knowing that familiar principles of employment law and established compliance regimes can still largely address these new twists on old questions, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

  • NYC Wage Info Bill Highlights Rise In Pay Transparency Laws

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    With New York City the latest to mull requiring companies to annually report employee wage data, national employers should consider adapting their compliance practices to comply with increasingly common pay transparency and disclosure obligations at state and local levels, says Kelly Cardin at Littler Mendelson.

  • Workday AI Bias Suit Suggests Hiring Lessons For Employers

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    As state laws and a federal agency increasingly focus on employment bias introduced by artificial intelligence systems, a California federal court's recent decision to allow a discrimination suit to proceed against Workday's AI-driven recruitment software, shows companies should promptly assess these tools' risks, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.

  • How Anti-DEI Bill Could Affect Employers' Diversity Efforts

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    Sen. J.D. Vance's recently introduced Dismantle DEI Act would substantially limit employers’ ability to implement and promote workplace diversity, equity and inclusion, but there are still steps employers can take to support a diverse workforce, says Peter Ennis at Cozen O’Connor.