Discrimination

  • February 27, 2026

    Emory Escapes Fired Worker's Race, Age Bias Suit

    Emory University knocked out a lawsuit from a white former employee who said her race and age got her fired, with a federal judge ruling that she couldn't overcome the school's argument that she'd been terminated for accessing medical records without authorization.

  • February 27, 2026

    3rd Circ. Preview: Janssen, Penn State Prof. Seek Relief

    A packed March argument calendar will put several high‑stakes disputes before the Third Circuit, including a billion‑dollar False Claims Act judgment and challenges at the intersection of academic freedom, DEI programming, cannabis‑sector finance and campus Title IX procedures.

  • February 27, 2026

    4 Argument Sessions Bias Attys Should Watch In March

    A federal judge will consider forcing the University of Pennsylvania to give the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission contact information of Jewish employees who may have endured or witnessed on-campus antisemitism, and the Fourth Circuit will mull whether Liberty University should face a transgender former employee's lawsuit. Here are four oral arguments discrimination attorneys should watch in March. 

  • February 27, 2026

    Haribo Defeats Fired Black Exec's Bias, Retaliation Suit

    A Texas federal jury sided with Haribo in a bias suit filed by a Black former executive who said the candy company unlawfully fired her and accused her of stealing a company car after she complained she'd been treated worse than white male colleagues.

  • February 27, 2026

    Ex-Cybersecurity Staffer Sues Carrier Corp. For Age Bias

    A former security official for HVAC manufacturer Carrier Global Corp. has hit the company with an age discrimination lawsuit in Georgia federal court, alleging he was fired in 2024 alongside a group of older workers, and then saw his job filled by a younger counterpart.

  • February 27, 2026

    School Beats Bias Suit From Ex-Worker Arrested Over Laptop

    The Sixth Circuit declined to reinstate a Black human resources manager's suit claiming the University of Toledo fired him out of race bias and then got him arrested, ruling the university justified its actions based on his performance issues and his refusal to return his work laptop.

  • February 27, 2026

    Calif. Forecast: Grubhub $25M Wage Deal Heads To Court

    In the next week, attorneys should watch for a preliminary settlement hearing in a long-running Grubhub driver classification suit that went to the Ninth Circuit. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters on deck in California.

  • February 27, 2026

    NY Forecast: NY Courts Vax Objection Case At 2nd Circ.

    This week, the Second Circuit will consider the New York State Unified Court System's challenge to a federal judge's decision finding the court system discriminated against a Christian employee by not accommodating her request for an exemption from its COVID-19 vaccine requirement. Here, Law360 looks at this and other cases on the docket in New York. 

  • February 26, 2026

    EEOC Backs Bathroom Exclusion For Trans Federal Worker

    Federal employers can lawfully block transgender workers from using bathrooms and changing facilities that align with their gender identity, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled Thursday in an administrative appeal involving a civilian Army employee.

  • February 26, 2026

    EEOC Reminds Fortune 500 Cos. To Avoid DEI Discrimination

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's chair urged America's largest employers Thursday to ensure their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives comply with civil rights laws, as she highlighted the agency's recent efforts to rein in corporate DEI programs that "attack" principles of equal opportunity.

  • February 26, 2026

    Starbucks, Army Veteran Resolve Paternity Leave Firing Suit

    An Army veteran and former Starbucks employee has agreed to end his lawsuit accusing the coffee giant of failing to address his supervisor's insulting comments about veterans and firing him for taking parental leave, according to a Thursday filing in Washington federal court.

  • February 26, 2026

    NC Judge 'Outraged' At Charlotte Housing Authority After Trial

    A North Carolina federal judge on Thursday said he was "outraged" at Charlotte's public housing authority for seemingly operating without regard for federal regulations, according to testimony he heard during a hostile work environment trial last year.

  • February 26, 2026

    Hegseth Appeals Block On Sen. Kelly's Rank Reduction

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has appealed a district court order blocking him from reducing the U.S. Navy rank of Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., after the lawmaker told members of the military they don't have to follow unlawful orders. 

  • February 26, 2026

    Fla. Biologist Fired Over Kirk Meme Says Boss Lied To Court

    A biologist fired from her state agency position for posting a Charlie Kirk meme on social media asked a Florida federal court to issue penalties in her free speech lawsuit, claiming her request for immediate reinstatement was denied based on a fraudulent declaration filed by a former supervisor.

  • February 26, 2026

    Reed Smith Says Atty Can't Expand Pay Bias Damages Period

    Reed Smith LLP is urging a New Jersey state court to rule that an attorney who claimed the firm unlawfully underpaid her cannot expand the time window for which she's seeking damages, arguing a legal doctrine used to revive continuing claims can't be used to collect back pay.

  • February 26, 2026

    EEOC Looks To Patch Cracks In Harassment Case Law

    Some federal courts' recent deviation from the long-settled standard for analyzing employer liability in third-party harassment cases has prompted the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to try to course-correct, but guidance from the nation's highest court may ultimately be necessary, experts said.

  • February 26, 2026

    SEIU Escapes Fired Pa. Hospital Worker's Bias Suit

    A Service Employees International Union unit can exit a lawsuit alleging that the union failed to properly represent a Black phlebotomist after she was fired by a Philadelphia hospital while she was on medical leave, a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled Thursday.

  • February 26, 2026

    Fla. Restaurant Strikes Deal In EEOC Sex Harassment Suit

    A Florida restaurant will pay $65,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit claiming it fired a female server after she complained that an owner was propositioning and sexually harassing her daily, according to a federal court filing.

  • February 26, 2026

    Gambling Addiction Group Settles Ex-Official's Race Bias Suit

    The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey Inc. has settled a race discrimination lawsuit by its former executive director, according to a notice that the case will be administratively terminated in 60 days.

  • February 26, 2026

    Firm Seeks Contempt Order In Mich. Atty Retaliation Suit

    An ongoing discovery fight has intensified between a metro Detroit law firm and a former associate pursuing sexual harassment claims against her ex-boss and mentor, with the firm asking a Michigan federal court to hold the attorney's new law partner in contempt for allegedly defying a subpoena and withholding documents related to their new firm.

  • February 26, 2026

    Demoted BMW Worker Wins $5M In Citizenship Bias Trial

    A South Carolina federal jury said a BMW manufacturing unit owes a former human resources manager $5.1 million after finding the business discriminated against her as an American citizen when it demoted her to make room for a German national.

  • February 26, 2026

    9th Circ. Backs L3Harris In Fired Worker's PTSD Bias Suit

    The Ninth Circuit backed defense contractor L3Harris' win in a suit claiming it unlawfully fired a painter because of his post-traumatic stress disorder, finding he admitted in an application for disability benefits that he wasn't able to work by the time he was terminated.

  • February 25, 2026

    DOJ Settles With IT Co. It Said Hurt US Workers With AI Ads

    The U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division announced Wednesday that it reached a settlement with a Virginia-based IT services company it alleged posted job advertisements generated by an artificial intelligence tool that included language restricting consideration only to certain foreign applicants.

  • February 25, 2026

    Soho House Supervisor Drugged, Raped Bartender, Suit Says

    A bartender for a Los Angeles restaurant operating inside the private members-only club Soho House was drugged and sexually assaulted by her supervisor, according to an employment suit filed Wednesday in California state court.

  • February 25, 2026

    6th Circ. Says All Of Paralegal's Bias Suit Is Arbitration-Exempt

    The Sixth Circuit ruled Wednesday that Adams and Reese LLP can't send a fired paralegal's sex harassment and disability bias suit to arbitration, ruling that a law that bars mandatory out-of-court resolutions for sexual harassment cases applies to the entirety of her lawsuit.

Expert Analysis

  • A Path Forward For Employers, Regardless Of DEI Stance

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    Whether a company views the Trump administration's executive orders ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs as a win or a loss, the change rearranges the employment hazards companies face, but not the non-DEI and nondiscriminatory economic incentive to seek the best workers, says Daniel S. Levy at Advanced Analytical Consulting Group.

  • Bias Suit Shows WNBA Growing Pains On Court And In Court

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    A newly filed disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against the Los Angeles Sparks is the latest in a series of employment discrimination disputes filed by WNBA professionals, highlighting teams' obligation to meet elevated workplace expectations and the league's role in facilitating an inclusive work environment, say attorneys at Michelman & Robinson.

  • 2 Areas Of Labor Law That May Change Under Trump

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    Based on President Donald Trump's recent moves, employers should expect to see significant changes in the direction of law coming out of the National Labor Relations Board, particularly in two areas where the Trump administration will seek to roll back the Biden NLRB's changes, says Daniel Johns at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Justices' Revival Ruling In Bias Suit Exceeds Procedural Issue

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Waetzig v. Halliburton allowed the plaintiff in an age discrimination lawsuit to move to reopen his case after arbitration, but the seemingly straightforward decision on a procedural issue raises complex questions for employment law practitioners, says Christopher Sakauye at Dykema.

  • Water Cooler Talk: 'Late Night' Shows DEI Is More Than Optics

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    Amid the shifting legal landscape for corporate diversity, equity and inclusion programs, Troutman's Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter chat with their firm's DEI committee chair, Nicole Edmonds, about how the 2019 film "Late Night" reflects the challenges and rewards of fostering meaningful inclusion.

  • 9 Considerations For Orgs Using AI Meeting Assistants

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    When deciding to use artificial intelligence meeting assistants, organizations must create and implement a written corporate policy that establishes the do's and don'ts for these assistants, taking into account individualized business operations, industry standards and legal and regulatory requirements, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • What's At Stake In High Court Transgender Care Suit

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    The outcome of U.S. v. Skrmetti will have critical implications for the rights of transgender youth and their access to gender-affirming care, and will likely affect other areas of law and policy involving transgender individuals, including education, employment, healthcare and civil rights, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Determining What 'I Don't Feel Safe' Means In The Workplace

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    When an employee tells an employer "I don't feel safe," the phrase can have different meanings, so employment lawyers must adequately investigate to identify which meaning applies — and a cursory review and dismissal of the situation may not be a sufficient defense in case of future legal proceedings, says Karen Elliott at FordHarrison.

  • How EEOC Enforcement Priorities May Change Under Trump

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    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has already been rocked by the Trump administration's dramatic changes in personnel and policy, which calls into question how the agency may shift its direction from the priorities set forth in its five-year strategic enforcement plan in 2023, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: Back To Basics After Admin Change

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    Having an up-to-date employee handbook is more critical now than ever, given the recent change in administration, and employers should understand their benefits and risks, including how they can limit employers’ liability and help retain employers’ rights, say Kasey Cappellano and Meaghan Gandy at Kutak Rock.

  • What Axed Title IX Gender Identity Rule Means For Higher Ed

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    Following a Kentucky federal court's recent decision in State of Tennessee v. Cardona to strike down a Biden-era rule that expanded the definition of Title IX to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity, institutions of higher education should prepare to reimplement policies that comply with the reinstated 2020 rule, say attorneys at Venable.

  • A Path Forward For Cos. Amid Trump's Anti-DEIA Efforts

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    Given the Trump administration’s recent efforts targeting corporate diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs — including threatening possible criminal prosecution — companies should carefully tailor their DEIA initiatives to comply with both the letter and the spirit of antidiscrimination law, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Workforce Data Collection Considerations After DEI Order

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    Following President Donald Trump's executive order targeting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, employers should balance the benefits of collecting demographic data with the risk of violating the order’s prohibition on "illegal DEI," say Lynn Clements at Berkshire Associates, David Cohen at DCI Consulting and Victoria Lipnic at Resolution Economics.