Discrimination

  • January 31, 2025

    McDonald's Settles Suit Over Latino College Scholarships

    McDonald's told a Tennessee federal court on Friday that it is revising its Latino scholarship program to get rid of requirements for applicants to be of Hispanic or Latino heritage, ending a lawsuit lodged by a group that had successfully sued Harvard University over its affirmative action policies.

  • January 31, 2025

    New York Scores Win In Reproductive Rights Labor Law Suit

    A New York federal judge Friday tossed an anti-abortion group's lawsuit challenging a New York state law that bars employers from penalizing workers for making certain reproductive health decisions, saying on the five-year anniversary of the case that the group lacked standing to assert its last remaining claim.

  • January 31, 2025

    Justices Implored To Consider Tipster Medical Device Row

    A nonprofit formed by Gretchen Carlson, a former Fox News anchor who has advocated against forced arbitration after suing the network's chairman for harassment, has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to consider a whistleblower's challenge to an arbitration award given to a medical device company in a trade secrets dispute.

  • January 31, 2025

    Trump Ties DOT Funds To Immigration And Other Dictates

    The Trump administration's Department of Transportation says it's not going to provide federal assistance to any states that don't comply with its efforts to deport as many people as possible or those that have vaccine or mask mandates.

  • January 31, 2025

    NY Sheriff, Officer Agree To End Pregnancy Bias Suit

    A New York sheriff's office and a corrections officer agreed to end her suit claiming she wasn't allowed to take lactation breaks following her pregnancy because of pregnancy bias, according to a federal court filing on Friday.

  • January 31, 2025

    SpaceX Likely To Beat Sanctions Bid In Pay Equity Case

    A California state judge said Friday that he probably won't sanction SpaceX for supposedly missing a deadline to pay an arbitration retainer tied to a proposed class action accusing Elon Musk's aerospace company of underpaying women and minorities.

  • January 31, 2025

    Trump Order Tees Up False Claims Act As Anti-DEI Weapon

    President Donald Trump’s push to curtail diversity, equity and inclusion programs included an executive order that experts say contains evidence that the False Claims Act will be used against employers that don’t come to heel. Here's a look at three things employers should be aware of.

  • January 31, 2025

    NY Corrections Dept. Must Face Transgender Harassment Suit

    The New York state corrections agency can't avoid a transgender former officer's lawsuit claiming he was forced out because of medical issues brought on by years of bullying from colleagues and supervisors, with a federal judge finding he'd filed his claims within the statutory time limit.

  • January 31, 2025

    Ex-Equinox Worker Says Bias Suit Should Go To Trial

    A New York federal jury should weigh in on a former high-ranking Equinox employee's bias suit, the worker argued, saying the fitness company's argument that she was fired for her poor performance is bogus because its decision was rooted in its animus toward her need to care for her children.

  • January 31, 2025

    6 Argument Sessions Benefits Attys Should Watch In Feb.

    The en banc Eleventh Circuit will consider whether federal anti-discrimination law bars a Georgia county health plan from refusing to cover a worker's gender-confirmation surgery while the Second Circuit will hear from an NBA referee defending his win in a pension payout case.

  • January 31, 2025

    Supreme Court Eyes Its 'Next Frontier' In FCC Delegation Case

    A case about broadband subsidies will give the U.S. Supreme Court the chance to revive a long-dormant separation of powers principle that attorneys say could upend regulations in numerous industries and trigger a power shift that would make last term's shake-up of federal agency authority pale in comparison. And a majority of the court already appears to support its resurrection.

  • January 31, 2025

    Dem AGs Say Trump's DEI Attacks Undercut Anti-Bias Efforts

    A dozen state attorneys general decried President Donald Trump's attempts to roll back diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs across the federal government, saying Friday his stance threatens decades of bipartisan work to combat discrimination and provide equal job opportunities.

  • February 14, 2025

    Law360 Seeks Members For Its 2025 Editorial Boards

    Law360 is looking for avid readers of our publications to serve as members of our 2025 editorial advisory boards.

  • January 31, 2025

    Reger Rizzo, Ex-Assistant Settle Race And Gender Bias Suit

    Philadelphia-based Reger Rizzo & Darnall LLP reached a settlement in a federal race and sex discrimination case filed last year by an ex-legal assistant, according to an order published Friday.

  • January 31, 2025

    Jackson Lewis Reelects Chair Amid Leadership Changes

    In its latest leadership shake-up, Jackson Lewis PC has reelected its firm chair and managing principal for a second term, while also implementing a leadership restructuring that includes the reorganization of its practice groups and the appointment of several new national heads.

  • January 31, 2025

    Paralegal Says Race, Disability Led To Thompson Coe Sacking

    A former paralegal at Thompson Coe Cousins & Irons LLP sued her ex-employer in Texas state court, alleging she was wrongfully fired because of her race and disability while also accusing the firm of sabotaging her attempts at obtaining future employment at other law firms.

  • January 31, 2025

    LegalZoom Hit With Racial Bias Suit From Ex-Employee

    A former human resources employee at LegalZoom has hit the legal services company with a discrimination suit in Nevada federal court, alleging she was underpaid compared to her white colleagues doing the same work and retaliated against when she brought up her concerns.

  • January 31, 2025

    Calif. Forecast: TikTok Workers Seek To Proceed Together

    In the next week, attorneys should keep an eye out for rulings in a pair of cases against TikTok by workers. Here's a look at those cases and other labor and employment matters coming up in California.

  • January 31, 2025

    EEOC Adds Extra Layer Of Review For Trans Bias Charges

    Discrimination claims that might conflict with President Donald Trump's executive orders, including one declaring that "sexes are not changeable," will now get kicked up to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's headquarters for review, an agency spokesperson confirmed Friday.

  • January 31, 2025

    Fired TikTok Exec's Bias Suit Kept In Court By Arbitration Ban

    A New York federal judge largely rejected TikTok's bid to toss a former executive's suit claiming she was pushed out of her job because of her age and gender, also ruling that a law barring sexual harassment disputes from arbitration keeps her claims in court.

  • January 31, 2025

    NY Forecast: 2nd Circ. Weighs NY Farmworkers Union Law

    This week, the Second Circuit will consider a group of New York farmers' claim that a 2019 law that extended union rights to farmworkers in the state violates the U.S. Constitution.

  • January 30, 2025

    Merck Can't Ditch Worker's Race Bias Suit Ahead Of Trial

    A New York federal judge on Wednesday refused to enter judgment for Merck & Co. in a Black former information technology director's suit alleging the company discriminated against him by firing him after he had a contractor removed from his project, teeing up the case for trial.

  • January 30, 2025

    Jay-Z Blasts Buzbee For 'Reputation-Destroying Allegations'

    Rapper Jay-Z has doubled down on his bid for sanctions against Texas attorney Tony Buzbee for filing a lawsuit accusing him of raping a 13-year-old with Sean "Diddy" Combs more than 20 years ago, saying the attorney has "weaponized" baseless accusations via social media and TV interviews.

  • January 30, 2025

    Religious Carveout Sinks Ex-School Principal's Bias Suit

    A Catholic high school and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia defeated a former principal's lawsuit claiming he was abruptly terminated because he was 60 years old and receiving cancer treatment, with a Pennsylvania federal judge saying his job included responsibilities that triggered a religious exception to anti-discrimination law.

  • January 30, 2025

    Mich. Judge Says 'Dial It Down' As Insults Fly In DQ Hearing

    A Michigan state court hearing over a motion to compel and disqualify an attorney defending a care facility in a wrongful termination lawsuit devolved into a volley of insults Thursday as lawyers who say they have a history of difficulty with each other slung personal jabs. 

Expert Analysis

  • It's Time For Nationwide Race-Based Hair Protections

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    While 24 states have passed laws that prohibit race-based hair discrimination, this type of bias persists in workplaces and schools, so a robust federal law is necessary to ensure widespread protection, says Samone Ijoma and Erica Roberts at Sanford Heisler.

  • After Chevron: EEOC Status Quo Will Likely Continue

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    As the legal landscape adjusts to the end of Chevron deference, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s rulemaking authority isn’t likely to shift as much as some other employment-related agencies, says Paige Lyle at FordHarrison.

  • After Chevron: Various Paths For Labor And Employment Law

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    Labor and employment law leans heavily on federal agency guidance, so the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to toss out Chevron deference will ripple through this area, with future workplace policies possibly taking shape through strategic litigation, informal guidance, state-level regulation and more, says Alexander MacDonald at Littler.

  • FIFA Maternity Policy Shows Need For Federal Paid Leave

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    While FIFA and other employers taking steps to provide paid parental leave should be applauded, the U.S. deserves a red card for being the only rich nation in the world that offers no such leave, says Dacey Romberg at Sanford Heisler.

  • What 2 Rulings On Standing Mean For DEI Litigation

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    Recent federal court decisions in the Fearless Fund and Hello Alice cases shed new light on the ongoing wave of challenges to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, with opposite conclusions on whether the plaintiffs had standing to sue, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Eye On Compliance: A Brief History Of Joint Employer Rules

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    It's important to examine the journey of the joint employer rule, because if the National Labor Relations Board's Fifth Circuit appeal is successful and the 2023 version is made law, virtually every employer who contracts for labor likely could be deemed a joint employer, say Bruno Katz and Robert Curtis at Wilson Elser.

  • Top 5 Issues For Employers To Audit Midyear

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    Six months into 2024, developments from federal courts and regulatory agencies should prompt employers to reflect on their progress regarding artificial intelligence, noncompetes, diversity initiatives, religious accommodation and more, say Allegra Lawrence-Hardy and Lisa Haldar at Lawrence & Bundy.

  • Tailoring Compliance Before AI Walks The Runway

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    Fashion industry players that adopt artificial intelligence to propel their businesses forward should consider ways to minimize its perceived downsides, including potential job displacements and algorithmic biases that may harm diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, say Jeffrey Greene and Ivory Djahouri at Foley & Lardner.

  • Where Anti-Discrimination Law Stands 4 Years After Bostock

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    On the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Bostock ruling, Evan Parness and Abby Rickeman at Covington take stock of how the decision, which held that Title VII protects employees from discrimination because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, has affected anti-discrimination law at the state and federal levels.

  • Politics In The Workplace: What Employers Need To Know

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    As the 2024 election approaches and protests continue across the country, employers should be aware of employees' rights — and limits on those rights — related to political speech and activities in the workplace, and be prepared to act proactively to prevent issues before they arise, say attorneys at Littler.

  • What High Court Ruling Means For Sexual Harassment Claims

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    In its recent Smith v. Spizzirri decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a district court compelling a case to arbitration is obligated to stay the case rather than dismissing it, but this requirement may result in sexual harassment cases not being heard by appellate courts, says Abe Melamed at Signature Resolution.

  • 5 Steps For Gov't Contractor Affirmative Action Verification

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    As the federal contractor affirmative action program certification deadline approaches, government contractors and subcontractors should take steps to determine their program obligations, and ensure any required plans are properly implemented and timely registered, say Christopher Wilkinson at Perkins Coie and Joanna Colosimo at DCI Consulting.

  • New OSHA Memo Helps Clarify Recordkeeping Compliance

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    Based on recent Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidance on whether musculoskeletal disorders are recordable injuries under the agency's recordkeeping regulation, it appears that OSHA may target active release techniques and stretching programs during its inspections, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.