Discrimination

  • January 22, 2026

    10th Circ. Grapples With White Officer's Diversity Fight

    The Tenth Circuit wrestled Thursday with whether to revive a white former corrections officer's twice-dismissed suit accusing the Colorado Department of Corrections of creating a racially hostile environment through diversity training, with one judge questioning the impact of a recent U.S. Supreme Court that favored majority group plaintiffs.

  • January 22, 2026

    Meta Can't Arbitrate Suit Alleging Bias Against White Workers

    Meta Platforms can't arbitrate a former engineer's suit alleging it fostered a hostile work environment that discriminated against white male employees and job applicants for hiring opportunities, promotions and bonuses, according to a minute order issued by a California state judge.

  • January 22, 2026

    NYC Homeless Nonprofit Shaved Hours, Ex-Worker Says

    A New York City nonprofit that operates homeless shelters shaved time off of employees' hours, resulting in unpaid wages and overtime, according to a proposed class and collective action complaint filed Thursday in New York federal court.

  • January 22, 2026

    Ex-Baker McKenzie Atty Alleges Assault In New DC Lawsuit

    A former Baker McKenzie associate who was sued for defamation over a series of social media posts accusing the firm's Washington, D.C., managing partner of sexual assault has brought her own lawsuit, marking the first time she publicly detailed her allegations in court records.

  • January 22, 2026

    Walmart Defeats Black Manager's Race Bias, Harassment Suit

    Walmart prevailed Thursday over a suit from a Black former manager who said he was denied a promotion and subjected to racist harassment on the job, when a Michigan federal judge ruled he lacked evidence that he was qualified for higher roles or had endured severe mistreatment.

  • January 22, 2026

    Littler Names New Board Of Directors Chair, Adds 3 Members

    Littler Mendelson PC has elected New York shareholder William J. Anthony to serve as chair of its 19-member 2026 Board of Directors and named three new board members.

  • January 22, 2026

    Delivery Co., EEOC End Suit Over Deaf Applicant's Nixed Offer

    A freight delivery company has agreed to pay $47,000 to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit that said it yanked a job offer from a deaf applicant after she asked for a sign language interpreter.

  • January 22, 2026

    Calif. Universities, Faculty Settle EEOC Info-Sharing Fight

    The California State University system has struck a deal with faculty labor unions to resolve a suit claiming the CSU improperly shared employee contact information with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to aid an investigation into antisemitism on its campuses.

  • January 22, 2026

    Food Hall Strikes Deal To End EEOC Racial Harassment Suit

    A Virginia food hall has agreed to pay $54,000 to resolve an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming the business's owner created a hostile work environment by using a racial slur and making racist comments to a Black general manager.

  • January 21, 2026

    Bristol-Myers' Worker Arbitration Push Scrutinized On Appeal

    A Washington Court of Appeals panel expressed reluctance to award Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s bid to send a former worker's age discrimination case to arbitration Wednesday, while also casting some doubt on the ex-employee's stance that the arbitration pact she signed was invalid.

  • January 21, 2026

    Ex-Military Heads Back Sen. Kelly In Suit Against Hegseth

    Dozens of former military leaders have backed U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., in challenging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's bid to reduce his Navy rank, saying Kelly's punishment for "accurate statements of military law" discourages veterans from exercising their own First Amendment rights.

  • January 21, 2026

    Los Alamos Cleanup Co. Hit With Retaliation Suit For Firings

    Two former employees of a company owned by Huntington Ingalls Industries and BWX Technologies that was tapped for a $2.1 billion contamination cleanup contract at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico have alleged in federal court they were unlawfully terminated after raising concerns about safety, employment and billing practices.

  • January 21, 2026

    Subway Franchisee Inks $150K Deal In EEOC Sex Assault Suit

    A Subway franchisee agreed to pay $150,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming the business didn't have the proper safeguards in place to prevent abuse when a teen worker was sexually assaulted on the job by his boss.

  • January 21, 2026

    UPenn Says EEOC's Bid For Jewish Staff Info Lacks Teeth

    The University of Pennsylvania urged a federal judge to reject the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's request for the contact information of Jewish employees, arguing that the lists the agency aims to compile shirk the U.S. Constitution and disregard "frightening" instances in history.

  • January 20, 2026

    LA Judge Faces Ethics Probe Over 'Bizarre' Comments

    California's judicial ethics watchdog announced Tuesday it is looking into misconduct allegations against a Los Angeles judge whose "extreme and bizarre" comments led a state appeals court to reverse a $10 million sexual harassment verdict.

  • January 20, 2026

    Full 5th Circ. PWFA Review May Tee Up High Court Fight

    The Fifth Circuit's recent decision to grant Texas an en banc rehearing to decide whether the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was validly enacted likely sets the state's challenge to the statute on a path to the U.S. Supreme Court, attorneys say. Here, Law360 looks at three things to know as the legal battle moves ahead.

  • January 20, 2026

    Ex-Paralegal Can't Prove Disability In ADA Bias Suit, Firm Says

    A former paralegal was not substantially limited in her work at a law firm by her ovarian cancer and its later metastasis, and so can't legally meet the definition of disabled, the firm's counsel told a North Carolina federal court Tuesday.

  • January 20, 2026

    Law360 Names Firms Of The Year

    Eight law firms have earned spots as Law360's Firms of the Year, with 48 Practice Group of the Year awards among them, achieving milestones such as high-profile litigation wins at the U.S. Supreme Court and 11-figure merger deals.

  • January 20, 2026

    Ex-EEOC Officials Predict More Harassment Without Guidance

    A group of former top officials at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and U.S. Department of Labor issued a statement Tuesday declaring that the Trump administration's proposed elimination of its lengthy workplace harassment guidance could lead to an increase in this kind of malfeasance.

  • January 20, 2026

    Texas AG Says State Diversity Initiatives Breach Constitution

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton took aim at a plethora of state diversity initiatives in a Monday opinion, declaring that several minority-owned business assistance programs and private hiring practices run afoul of the Texas Constitution.

  • January 20, 2026

    Jewish Google Worker Says Boss Harassed Him Out Of A Job

    A former Google salesperson was forced to quit his job after his boss began waging a "campaign of hostility" against him upon learning that he is Jewish and diagnosed with mental health disorders, according to a new bias and retaliation suit filed against the tech giant.

  • January 20, 2026

    11th Circ. Backs Construction Co.'s Win In Race Bias Suit

    An Alabama-based construction company solidified its early win Tuesday in a race and age bias lawsuit from three Black construction workers after the Eleventh Circuit said "decline in work ethic," which the company asserted as its reason for termination, was enough to fire them.

  • January 20, 2026

    Texas, Fla. AGs Pen Opinions On 'Unconstitutional' DEI Efforts

    The attorneys general of Florida and Texas both issued opinions calling diversity, equity and inclusion requirements and laws unconstitutional.

  • January 20, 2026

    Ex-MSG Worker Says DQ Attempt Is 'Clear Misdirection'

    A former employee pursuing wrongful firing claims against Madison Square Garden Entertainment has asked a New York federal judge to reject the company's request to remove his counsel based on his potential need to testify, arguing that key facts are available from other sources and his lawyer will not need to take the stand.

  • January 20, 2026

    Fired Worker's Own Words Doom Her Bias Suit, 6th Circ. Says

    The Sixth Circuit backed the dismissal of a Black urgent care worker's suit claiming she was discriminated against and harassed when she was fired for allegedly asking a police officer patient if he had killed anyone, ruling she undermined her case through her own deposition.

Expert Analysis

  • What To Know About DOL's New FLSA, FMLA Opinion Letters

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    The U.S. Department of Labor kicked off 2026 by releasing several opinion letters addressing employee classification, incentive bonuses and intermittent leave, reminding employers that common practices can create significant risk if they are handled inconsistently or without careful documentation, say attorneys at Woods Rogers.

  • AI-Driven Harassment Poses New Risks For Employers

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    Two recent cases show that deepfakes and other artificial intelligence‑generated content are emerging as a powerful new mechanism for workplace harassment, and employers should take a proactive approach to reduce their liability as AI continues to reshape workplace dynamics, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Algorithmic Bias Risks Remain For Employers After AI Order

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    A recent executive order articulates a federal preference for a minimally burdensome approach to artificial intelligence regulation, but it doesn't eliminate employers' central compliance challenge or exposure when using AI tools, say Marjorie Soto Garcia and Joseph Mulherin at McDermott, and Candice Rosevear at Peregrine Economics.

  • A Look At EEOC Actions In 2025 And What's Next

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    President Donald Trump issued several executive orders last year that reshaped policy at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and with the administration now controlling a majority of the commission, the EEOC may align itself fully with orders addressing disparate impact and transgender issues, say attorneys at Jones Day.

  • How Mamdani Will Shift NYC Employment Law Enforcement

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    Under Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the New York City labor law regime is poised to become more coordinated, less forgiving and more willing to test gray areas in favor of workers, with wage and hour practices, pay equity and contractor relationships among likely areas of enforcement focus, says Scott Green at Goldberg Segalla.

  • Navigating Workplace AI When Federal, State Policies Clash

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    Two recent federal bills and various state laws concerning employers' artificial intelligence use may clash with an executive order calling for minimal regulation, so employers should proactively monitor their AI usage and stay apprised of legislative updates while awaiting further direction from the federal government, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

  • Employment Immigration Trends And Challenges For 2026

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    U.S. companies competing for global talent should brace for a turbulent 2026, with greater compliance burdens, higher costs and the probability of workforce disruptions at every stage of the immigration process, from visa petitions to work authorization renewals, say attorneys at Duane Morris.

  • Top 10 Employer Resolutions For 2026

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    Heightened regulatory attention, shifting enforcement priorities and increased litigation risk mean that routine workplace decisions in 2026 will require greater discipline and foresight, including in relation to bias and inclusion training, employee resource groups, employee speech, immigration compliance, workplace accommodations, and shadow artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Krevolin & Horst.

  • Health, Legal Employers Face Unique Online Speech Hurdles

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    Employers in the legal and healthcare industries must consider distinctive ethical obligations and professional requirements when disciplining employees for social media posts, while anticipating an area of the law in flux as courts seek to balance speech rights and the workplace function, say attorneys at FordHarrison.

  • Insuring Equality: 3 Tips To Preserve Coverage For DEI Claims

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    Directors and officers and employment practices liability are key coverages for policyholders to review as potentially responsive to the emerging liability threat of Trump's executive orders targeting corporate diversity, equity and inclusion policies and practices, says Micah Skidmore at Haynes Boone.

  • 6 Laws For Calif. Employers To Know In 2026

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    California's legislative changes for 2026 impose sweeping new obligations on employers, including by expanding pay data reporting, clarifying protections related to bias mitigation training and broadening record access rights, but employers can avoid heightened exposure by proactively evaluating their compliance, modernizing internal systems and updating policies, says Alexa Foley at Gordon Rees.

  • Where DEI Stands After The Federal Crackdown In 2025

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    The federal government's actions this year have marked a fundamental shift in the enforcement of antidiscrimination laws, indicating that diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that perpetuate allegedly unlawful discrimination will face vigorous scrutiny in 2026, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: An Employer-Friendly Shift At NLRB

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    As the National Labor Relations Board is expected to shift toward issuing more employer-friendly decisions, employers should still monitor NLRB trends concerning handbook policies before making substantial changes to protocol and continue to align policies with employees' rights under the National Labor Relations Act, say attorneys at Kutak Rock.