Discrimination

  • October 17, 2024

    Texas Sues Doctor For Providing Kids Gender-Affirming Care

    The state of Texas sued a pediatrician Thursday, alleging she broke state law by providing gender-affirming care to children. 

  • October 16, 2024

    Garth Brooks Says Rape Accuser Already Revealed Herself

    Country music star Garth Brooks on Wednesday urged a Mississippi federal court to reject a hair and makeup artist's request that he be sanctioned for publicly revealing her identity out of spite after she accused him of rape, arguing that she already agreed to use her name in the litigation.

  • October 16, 2024

    Rail Agency Fired Vax Objectors In 'Sham Process,' Jury Told

    Counsel for six fired San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District workers delivered opening statements Wednesday in a new trial over allegations BART discriminated against employees who sought religious exemptions from its COVID-19 vaccination mandate, calling the agency's review of their requests a "sham process."

  • October 16, 2024

    Ex-Davis Polk Atty Drops Appeal Of Bias Verdict Loss

    A former Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP associate on Tuesday dropped his appeal of a jury verdict clearing the firm and two lawyers of liability in a suit alleging he was fired in retaliation for airing concerns about racial bias and diversity.

  • October 16, 2024

    Religious Groups Target EEOC Regs On Abortion, IVF

    Two Christian organizations are challenging regulations and guidance from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and another federal agency over using workers' chosen pronouns and offering health plans that cover abortion services and IVF treatments, according to a lawsuit filed in Texas federal court.

  • October 16, 2024

    Ex-Atlanta IT Worker Sues City For Wrongful Firing, Race Bias

    A Black woman who previously served as a senior-level director in the city of Atlanta's information management department has filed suit against the city in Georgia federal court, alleging she was fired after months of raising internal complaints of discrimination within the department.

  • October 16, 2024

    Nerds, Laffy Taffy Maker Hit With Genetic Info Privacy Claims

    The Illinois-based company behind popular candies such as Nerds, Laffy Taffy and SweeTarts probes job applicants' medical histories in violation of their genetic information privacy rights, according to a proposed class lawsuit filed Tuesday in Illinois state court.

  • October 16, 2024

    Award Rightly Reinstates Worker In Pot Test Spat, Judge Says

    An arbitration board correctly ordered an Alaska Airlines mechanic's reinstatement after he was fired following a positive test for marijuana, a Washington federal judge concluded, upholding the arbitration panel's view of the just cause provision in the labor contract between the airline and the worker's union.

  • October 16, 2024

    Record Labels Seek Sanctions For Claim They Aided Combs

    Music companies on Wednesday urged a Manhattan federal judge to sanction an attorney for pursuing what they called "outrageous" claims that they supported Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex- and drug-fueled "freak offs."

  • October 16, 2024

    9th Circ. Won't Rethink Reviving Airline Military Bias Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday rejected Alaska Airlines' bid for the court to reconsider its August opinion reinstating a class action accusing the airline of illegally denying accrued vacation and sick time to pilots on military assignments.

  • October 16, 2024

    Ex-Jones Day Attys' Parental Leave Suit Gets 2025 Trial Date

    Two former Jones Day associates challenging the firm's family leave policy will go to trial in late 2025 after a D.C. federal judge allowed certain claims in the lawsuit to move forward.

  • October 16, 2024

    Historic NY Church Wrongly Demoted Black Worker, Suit Says

    A historic Episcopal church in Lower Manhattan demoted a Black media relations manager and denied her professional opportunities because of her race after it brought in a new executive, according to a lawsuit filed in New York federal court.

  • October 16, 2024

    Lesbian Nurse Says Ga. Hospital's Fertility Plan Is Biased

    A lesbian nurse has hit a Georgia hospital and healthcare system with a proposed class action, alleging that the medical plan they offer employees discriminates against homosexual women by charging them more upfront to receive fertility care than women in heterosexual relationships.

  • October 16, 2024

    Foley Hoag Wants Bulk Of Claims Axed In NY Wage Suit

    Foley Hoag LLP has asked a New York federal judge to toss most of the claims in an employee's suit alleging the firm failed to pay overtime wages and engaged in various forms of retaliation and discrimination against him, arguing the complaint "is largely devoid of well-pleaded factual allegations."

  • October 16, 2024

    Columbia Prof Says Firm Abandoned Her During Israel Probe

    A Columbia Law School professor accused plaintiffs employment firm Outten & Golden LLP of abruptly dropping her as a client amid the school's investigation into her comments on campus tensions tied to Israel's attack on Gaza, saying on X Wednesday that the firm's alleged conduct prompted her attorney to resign after nearly 24 years as a partner there.

  • October 16, 2024

    New Orleans Saints, Pelicans Settle Worker's Vaccination Suit

    The NFL and NBA teams in New Orleans informed a Louisiana federal judge that they have settled a lawsuit with a former employee who claimed she was wrongfully fired after refusing a COVID-19 vaccine because of medical and religious reasons.

  • October 16, 2024

    Fla. Waste Co. Inks $1.4M Deal To End EEOC Race Bias Suit

    A waste company agreed to hand over $1.4 million to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit filed in Florida federal court alleging it failed to step in when Black and Haitian employees were called racial slurs on the job.

  • October 16, 2024

    DLA Piper Says 'Sloppy' Work Cost Pregnant Associate Job

    DLA Piper urged a New York federal court to throw out a former associate's lawsuit alleging that she was fired after requesting maternity leave, saying her work performance was "shockingly poor" during her one year with the firm.

  • October 16, 2024

    Duquesne University Beats Ex-Gift Officer's Age Bias Suit

    Duquesne University defeated a former gift officer's suit claiming he was fired for complaining that his boss reassigned work to a younger employee because he was in his 60s, with a Pennsylvania federal judge ruling that he failed to identify a comparable colleague who was treated better.

  • October 16, 2024

    Dermatology Practice Can't Escape Fired Doctor's Bias Suit

    A Pennsylvania federal judge refused Wednesday to toss a sex and age discrimination suit from a dermatologist who said she was unlawfully fired by the private equity-backed practice that bought her business, ruling she put forward enough details to keep her claims in play.

  • October 16, 2024

    What Employers Can Learn From DOJ Disparate Impact Suits

    A string of recent U.S. Department of Justice enforcement activity targeting state and local governments with claims of bias in hiring tests for first responders reflects a broader governmental focus on disparate impact and holds important lessons for private sector employers, experts said.

  • October 16, 2024

    Ashland U. General Counsel Joins Ogletree In Ohio

    The general counsel of Ashland University, a private university in Ohio, has made the move to private practice at Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC.

  • October 15, 2024

    Combs Hit With Slew Of Assault Suits Dating Back To 1995

    Sean "Diddy" Combs was hit with six new lawsuits in Manhattan federal court Monday, alleging that for decades the hip-hop mogul sexually assaulted women, men and minors at parties and other events, including one woman who says he raped her at a promotional party for a Notorious B.I.G. music video.

  • October 15, 2024

    EEOC Tells 6th Circ. To Take Harassment Suit Slurs Seriously

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission urged the Sixth Circuit to revive claims brought by two Black former workers that they faced racist harassment at a transportation company, arguing the lower court minimized that they were regularly called slurs on the job.

  • October 15, 2024

    Fired Attorney Says Legal Aid Has Racist Environment

    The New York City nonprofit Legal Aid Society did nothing to address complaints that white employees regularly treated Black colleagues disrespectfully, including by excluding them from professional opportunities and using offensive language, a Black former staff attorney told a federal court.

Expert Analysis

  • Why Employers Should Heed High Court Web Designer Ruling

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    While not an employment law ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in the First Amendment case 303 Creative v. Elenis raises serious questions for employers that constitute public accommodations and have related anti-discrimination policies, says Tanner Camp at Foley & Lardner.

  • What To Expect From The EEOC's Proposed Pregnancy Law

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    U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regulations implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act require accommodations for many conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth, and while the final rule won't be published until the public comment period expires in October, employers should act promptly, says Amy Gluck at FisherBroyles.

  • Employer Best Practices For Pay Transparency Compliance

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    With conflicting pay transparency and disclosure laws appearing across the country, employers must carefully develop different strategies for discussing compensation with employees, applicants, and off-site workers, disclosing salaries in job ads, and staying abreast of new state and local compliance requirements, says Joy Rosenquist at Littler Mendelson.

  • Congress Must Level The Employer Arbitration Playing Field

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    Federal courts have largely eviscerated state bans on arbitration of employment claims through Federal Arbitration Act preemption holdings, and they are also limiting the impact of the federal Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, so Congress needs to step in and amend both laws, says Alan Kabat at Bernabei & Kabat.

  • What 11th Circ. Revival Of Deaf Employee's Bias Suit Portends

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    The Eleventh Circuit's recent Beasley v. O'Reilly Auto Parts decision, which created a circuit split involving the issue of linking accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act to essential job functions, is a curiosity about the court's analysis at least and a potential game changer for employer duties at most, says John Doran at Sherman & Howard.

  • 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.