Discrimination

  • March 11, 2026

    Airport Settles Suit Over Firm's 'Harmless Flirting' Ad

    An airport authority in Syracuse, New York, has agreed to settle a suit from an employment law firm claiming the authority violated the First Amendment when it rejected a billboard from the firm calling out companies that dismiss sexual harassment as "harmless flirting."

  • March 10, 2026

    6th Circ. Says Waiver Sinks Laid Off Dow Worker's Bias Suit

    The Sixth Circuit has waved away an argument that a woman who was laid off by a Dow Chemical unit could still bring race and gender discrimination claims against the company because she didn't know what the release she signed in order to get her severance meant.

  • March 10, 2026

    Recycling Co. Can't Rope Staffing Firms Into EEOC Bias Suit

    An Alabama federal judge on Tuesday shut down a recycling plant's bid to drag three staffing companies into a sex bias case from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claiming the company refused to hire women, ruling that doing so would allow the business to improperly escape liability.

  • March 10, 2026

    Biopharma Co. Can't Beat Former Exec's Age, Race Bias Suit

    A Merck subsidiary can't dodge a former executive's suit claiming she was unlawfully laid off because she's an Asian woman in her 40s, a New York federal judge ruled Tuesday, saying it's too early for the company to challenge her data suggesting the reduction-in-force was rooted in bias.

  • March 10, 2026

    Postal Delay Unfair Grounds For Tossing Suit, 11th Circ. Says

    A Georgia federal judge should have cut a break to a construction worker whose race bias suit barely missed its statutory filing deadline thanks to hurricane-induced postal delays, an Eleventh Circuit panel said Tuesday.

  • March 10, 2026

    4th Circ. Backs W.Va.'s Trans Care Coverage Exclusion

    The Fourth Circuit said Tuesday that West Virginia's Medicaid coverage exclusion for gender-affirming care passes constitutional muster and does not discriminate based on sex, basing its conclusion on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

  • March 10, 2026

    Judge Seems Open To Giving EEOC Penn's Jewish Staff Info

    A Pennsylvania federal judge seemed inclined Tuesday to enforce the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's subpoena for the University of Pennsylvania's Jewish employees' contact information, a request that has alarmed the school and several advocacy groups, expressing doubt that the information would be used for nefarious purposes.

  • March 10, 2026

    After Mistrial, EEOC Settles Worker's Promotion Bias Suit

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission struck a deal to end a longtime agency employee's lawsuit claiming she was unlawfully passed over for a promotion, a month after jurors deadlocked over whether sex motivated the decision not to bump her up in the ranks.

  • March 10, 2026

    Boston Exam Schools Case May Hinge On 1st Circ. Ruling

    A Massachusetts federal judge weighed arguments Tuesday on whether to dismiss a challenge to the admissions system for Boston's three selective "exam schools" in light of a First Circuit ruling backing a previous plan that increased racial diversity.

  • March 10, 2026

    NFLPA Leaders Align To Sink Ex-Lawyer's Retaliation Suit

    NFL Players Association officials are firing back against a former attorney's retaliation suit, hoping to dismiss her claims that union leaders intimidated her against testifying in a federal probe into its finances.

  • March 10, 2026

    EEOC, Comedy Club Ink $373K Deal To End Harassment Probe

    A comedy club in Louisville, Kentucky, will pay nearly $373,000 to close the book on a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation into whether a manager sexually harassed female employees, the agency said Tuesday.

  • March 10, 2026

    Judge Nixed Over MAGA Op-Ed Seeks Reinstatement

    A retired Illinois state trial court judge pursuing First Amendment claims against the state Supreme Court after his right-wing opinion column resulted in his removal from a temporary judgeship has moved for immediate reinstatement to the Cook County Circuit Court.

  • March 10, 2026

    Ex-Program Head Says Rutgers Fired Him For Whistleblowing

    A former assistant dean and director of the Minority Student Program at Rutgers Law School is alleging in New Jersey federal court that he was fired after he complained about unlawful discrimination and financial misappropriation in the workplace.

  • March 10, 2026

    DLA Piper Can't Rep Itself At Bias Trial, Fired Atty Says

    DLA Piper should not be permitted to represent itself at trial in a pregnancy discrimination case brought by a senior associate who was fired in 2022, lawyers for the plaintiff told a Manhattan federal judge.

  • March 10, 2026

    Miss. Steakhouse Ousted Worker Over Seizure, EEOC Says

    A Mississippi steakhouse unlawfully fired a worker soon after learning she had a health condition that caused seizures, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission told a federal court.

  • March 09, 2026

    Employment Law Cases Have Rebounded Except For FLSA

    Employment law cases overall have bounced back from pandemic-era lows, especially discrimination and disability accommodation suits, though a slump has continued for Fair Labor Standards Act claims, according to a report by legal analytics provider Lex Machina.

  • March 09, 2026

    Nonprofit Accused Of Firing Director For Medical Leave

    The American Forest Foundation fired a former director for taking a leave of absence to address physical and mental health concerns brought on by a disability, the ex-director told a Colorado federal court.

  • March 09, 2026

    Google Shuts Down Claims It Fired Worker Over Cancer

    A Connecticut federal judge tossed a suit Monday from a former sales representative who said Google fired him after learning he had cancer to avoid paying out a $4 million life insurance policy, saying the ex-worker sent "mixed messages" on whether Google thought the condition was terminal.

  • March 09, 2026

    Water Damage Co. Faces Class Action Over Wages

    A pair of former employees of a water damage repair company claim in a proposed class action filed in Colorado state court that the company is violating Colorado employment laws by not allowing employees to take state-mandated breaks and by paying on-call workers a flat rate for assignments regardless of the actual hours worked.

  • March 09, 2026

    UPenn May Face Long Odds As EEOC Seeks Jewish Staff List

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's robust investigative authority may give it an edge when it squares off with the University of Pennsylvania in federal court Tuesday to debate the agency's demand for detailed information on the Jewish members of the campus community, experts say.

  • March 09, 2026

    6th Circ. Upholds Dismissal Of Detroit Teacher's Bias Suit

    A former Detroit teacher has failed to persuade the Sixth Circuit to reopen her claims that school administrators treated her differently because of her Jewish faith and punished her for posting about a student assault in a teachers' Facebook group.

  • March 09, 2026

    5th Circ. Won't Unwind Class In United Airlines Vax Bias Suit

    The Fifth Circuit said Monday that United Airlines can't roll back class certification for workers who brought religious bias claims after opposing the air carrier's COVID-19 vaccine mandate and getting placed on unpaid leave, rejecting concerns that the courts would have to probe the sincerity of each worker's convictions.

  • March 09, 2026

    5th Circ. Says Atty's Flaky Handling Justifies Axing Bias Suit

    A trial court was right to toss a suit from a former correctional facility employee who said he was passed over for promotion because he's Black and was fired when he complained, the Fifth Circuit ruled Monday, faulting his lawyer for ignoring her duty to pursue his case.

  • March 09, 2026

    2nd Circ. Seems Skeptical Of Teachers' Pride Flag Bias Suit

    The Second Circuit appeared hesitant Monday to revive three LGBTQ+ high school teachers' suit alleging they were unlawfully banned from displaying pride flags, with two judges hinting that a 20-year-old U.S. Supreme Court ruling governing public employee speech imperils their case.

  • March 09, 2026

    Trans Patients Score Block On Aetna Facial Surgery Exclusion

    Aetna must reconsider whether two transgender women can receive coverage for their gender-affirming facial reconstruction surgeries, a Connecticut federal judge ruled, finding that a policy categorically excluding coverage for the procedure was likely discriminatory.

Expert Analysis

  • How Ending OFCCP Will Affect Affirmative Action Obligations

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    As President Donald Trump's administration plans to eliminate the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which enforces federal contractor antidiscrimination compliance and affirmative action program obligations, contractors should consider the best compliance approaches available to them, especially given the False Claims Act implications, say attorneys at Ogletree.

  • Employer Best Practices For Navigating Worker Separations

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    As job cuts hit several major industries, employers should take steps to minimize their exposure to discrimination claims, information leaks and enforcement challenges, such as maintaining sound documentation, strategic planning and legal coordination, says Mark Romance at Day Pitney.

  • Employer Tips For Responding To ICE In The Workplace

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    Increased immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump's administration has left employers struggling to balance their compliance obligations with their desire to provide a safe workplace, so creating a thorough response plan and training for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's presence at the workplace is crucial, say attorneys at Hanson Bridgett.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: Shifting Worker Accommodation Rules

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    Since President Donald Trump took office, many changes have directly affected how employers must address accommodation requests, particularly those concerning pregnancy-related medical conditions and religious beliefs, underscoring the importance of regularly reviewing and updating accommodation policies and procedures, say attorneys at Kutak Rock.

  • Shifting DEI Expectations Put Banks In Legal Crosshairs

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    The Trump administration's rollbacks on DEI-friendly policies create something of a regulatory catch-22 for banks, wherein strict compliance would contradict established statutory and administrative mandates regarding access to credit for disadvantaged communities, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • Compliance Tips After Court Axes EEOC's Trans Rights Take

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    A Texas federal court's recent decision struck portions of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's 2024 guidance pertaining to sexual orientation and gender identity under Title VII, barring their use nationwide and leaving employers unsure about how to proceed in their compliance efforts, say attorneys at Dorsey & Whitney.

  • 5 Insurance Claims That Could Emerge After NCAA Settlement

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    Following the recent NCAA class action settlement that will allow revenue sharing with college athletes, there may be potential management liability for universities, their executive leadership and boards that could expose insurers to tax, regulatory, breach of contract and other claims, says Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty.

  • 8th Circ. Ruling Highlights Complicated Remote Work Analysis

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    The Eighth Circuit’s recent opinion in Kuklenski v. Medtronic USA demonstrates that the applicability of employment laws to remote workers is often a fact-driven analysis, highlighting several parameters to consider when evaluating what state and local laws may apply to employees who work remotely, say attorneys at Vedder Price.

  • Philly Law Initiates New Era Of Worker Protections

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    A new worker protection law in Philadelphia includes, among other measures, a private right of action and recordkeeping requirements that may amount to a lower evidentiary standard, introducing a new level of accountability and additional noncompliance risks for employers, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Justices' Ruling Lowers Bar For Reverse Discrimination Suits

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous opinion in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, lowering the evidentiary burden for plaintiffs bringing so-called reverse discrimination claims, may lead to more claims brought by majority group employees — and open the door to legal challenges to employer diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, say attorneys at Ice Miller.

  • 4 Midyear Employer Actions To Reinforce Compliance

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    The legal and political landscape surrounding what the government describes as unlawful diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives has become increasingly complex over the past six months, and the midyear juncture presents a strategic opportunity to reinforce commitments to legal integrity, workplace equity and long-term operational resilience, say attorneys at Krevolin & Horst.

  • Proposed State AI Rule Ban Could Alter Employer Compliance

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    A proposal in the congressional budget bill that would ban state and local enforcement of laws and regulations governing artificial intelligence may offer near-term clarity by freezing conflicting rules, but long-term planning would remain difficult for employers seeking safe, lawful AI deployment strategies, say attorneys at Fisher Phillips.

  • What Employers Can Learn From 'Your Friends & Neighbors'

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    The new drama series "Your Friends and Neighbors," follows a hedge fund firm manager who is terminated after an alleged affair with an employee in another department, and his employment struggles can teach us a few lessons about workplace policies, for cause termination and nonsolicitation clauses, says Anita Levian at Levian Law.