Discrimination

  • April 15, 2026

    Doctor's Coaching Mandate Didn't Violate ADA, 11th Circ. Says

    The Eleventh Circuit backed the dismissal Wednesday of a urologist's suit claiming Emory University fired him for refusing to undergo a mental health probe, ruling the professional coaching sessions he was asked to attend did not amount to medical exams.

  • April 15, 2026

    Ex-Defense Contractor Execs Call Arbitration Pact 'One-Sided'

    Two former executives for a defense contractor asked a Colorado federal judge Wednesday for an early win in their lawsuit alleging the contractor fired them for reporting a $1.9 million fraud scheme on a classified government contract.

  • April 15, 2026

    Firings Over Vax Refusals Arbitrable, Police Union Tells Court

    The union representing Massachusetts state police troopers told an intermediate appellate court Wednesday that disagreement over the meaning of "just cause" triggers a right to arbitrate disciplinary actions, including the firings of 13 officers over their refusal to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.

  • April 15, 2026

    Counsel In Ex-Chartwell Atty Firing Suit Told To Ease Off

    A Florida federal judge said Wednesday she wanted more information about a sanctions motion allegedly filed with hallucinated AI citations and urged attorneys to "bring the temperature down" in an ex-Chartwell Law Offices LLP attorney's suit claiming she was fired for posting social media statements criticizing military action in Gaza.

  • April 15, 2026

    6th Circ. Won't Revive Ohio Worker's Disability Bias Suit

    The Sixth Circuit backed an Ohio agency's win in a financial worker's suit claiming she was placed on involuntary leave because of her ministrokes without any effort to identify a different arrangement, finding she never asked her employer for an accommodation.

  • April 15, 2026

    Penn Wants EEOC Subpoena Order Stayed For 3rd Circ. Look

    The University of Pennsylvania urged a federal judge to freeze an order requiring it to fork over the contact information of Jewish employees for a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission probe into alleged antisemitism, saying the Third Circuit could find the decision violates the U.S. Constitution.

  • April 14, 2026

    Evidence Cut In Weinstein's 3rd NY Rape Trial As Jury Picked

    Six years after the first #MeToo verdict against Harvey Weinstein, a New York state judge on Tuesday began picking a jury for the disgraced producer's third rape trial in Manhattan and ruling on what evidence would come in.

  • April 14, 2026

    'Women Only Have Tattoos?' Judges Doubt Bias At RTX Unit

    Connecticut appellate judges sounded skeptical Tuesday that a female mechanic could support a gender bias claim against RTX Corp.'s Pratt & Whitney division by citing her short stature and tattoos, noting that those characteristics are not gender-specific.

  • April 14, 2026

    Va. Gov. Floats Study Instead Of Signing Menopause Bias Bill

    Virginia's governor declined to sign a bill that would have made it illegal for state employers to discriminate against workers or deny accommodations for menopause or perimenopause, instead asking the state Legislature to approve a study on menopause in the workplace.

  • April 14, 2026

    Defense Contractor Fired Execs For Flagging Fraud, Suit Says

    A defense contractor fired two executives who reported a $1.9 million fraud scheme on a classified government contract, but retained the manager who orchestrated it, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Colorado federal court.

  • April 14, 2026

    Submarine Co. Strikes Deal To End Long-Haul COVID Bias Suit

    A nuclear submarine builder agreed to settle and close a former worker's suit alleging the company fired her for taking medical leave to treat her long-haul COVID symptoms, according to a Connecticut federal court filing.

  • April 14, 2026

    Security Tech Co. To Pay $100K In EEOC Hearing Bias Suit

    A security technology manufacturer will pay $100,000 to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit alleging it demoted a hearing-impaired worker because she asked for protective equipment, according to a filing Tuesday in Maryland federal court.

  • April 14, 2026

    6th Circ. Won't Extend Ex-Aviation Worker's Appeal Deadline

    The Sixth Circuit refused Tuesday to reopen a former aviation company employee's lawsuit claiming she was fired for wearing face masks that depicted the Black Lives Matter logo and an LGBTQ+ flag, ruling her attorney's impending maternity leave wasn't a valid reason for filing a late appeal.

  • April 14, 2026

    Michigan County Hit With Sexual Harassment Suit

    A former investigator for a Michigan public defender's office claims in a federal lawsuit filed Monday that she was sexually harassed and assaulted by a male senior attorney, then faced retaliation and constructive termination after she reported the misconduct.

  • April 14, 2026

    4 Takeaways After IBM Strikes $17M DEI Deal With Feds

    IBM recently agreed to pay $17 million to resolve a U.S. Department of Justice probe into the legality of the company's diversity, equity and inclusion practices, a deal that could be a sign of more enforcement actions and shed light on the damages companies could face. Here are four things employment attorneys are talking about following the DOJ's deal with IBM.  

  • April 14, 2026

    Littler Hires Ex-Jackson Lewis Employment Atty In Charlotte

    Littler Mendelson PC, which primarily deals in employment and labor law practice representing management, announced Monday the hiring of a former principal and office litigation manager at Jackson Lewis PC for its Charlotte, North Carolina, office.

  • April 14, 2026

    Animal Health Co. Settles Veterinarian's Pay Bias Claim

    An animal health company has settled a former veterinary pathologist's claim that she was paid less than her male colleagues because of her gender, according to filings in New Jersey federal court.

  • April 13, 2026

    DOD Education Unit Says Bias Suit Rehashes EEO Claims

    The Department of Defense Education Activity told a North Carolina federal court Monday that a former assistant principal's sex and race discrimination lawsuit can't survive, as her claims are either too skeletal or have not yet been administratively exhausted.

  • April 13, 2026

    Penn Appealing Order To Give Jewish Employee Info To EEOC

    The University of Pennsylvania said Monday it is appealing to the Third Circuit a federal judge's order that it must comply with a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission subpoena for information on Jewish members of its campus community as part of the EEOC's investigation into allegations of antisemitism.

  • April 13, 2026

    EEOC To Produce Law Firm DEI Letter Records By May 15

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission told a federal court Monday that it would give two law professors documents related to 20 letters the agency sent to law firms over their purported diversity, equity and inclusion practices by May 15.

  • April 13, 2026

    EEOC, PepsiCo's Slimmed-Down Bias Deal Wins Approval

    A $270,000 settlement that the PepsiCo Beverage Sales brokered to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission disability discrimination lawsuit secured court approval on Monday after the parties pared back several terms that a judge had found "unreasonable."

  • April 13, 2026

    Walmart Escapes Fired Indian Worker's Discrimination Suit

    A worker of Indian descent who alleges that Walmart fired him out of discrimination for his ethnic heritage can't prop up his case by pointing to a handful of off-color remarks that colleagues made about his identity, an Arkansas federal judge ruled Monday while tossing the case.

  • April 13, 2026

    Anti-Native Taunts Made Engineer 'Feel Less Than,' Suit Says

    A member of a Native American tribe has filed a lawsuit in Michigan federal court against two real estate companies that provide "hotel-style" apartments, saying the "dehumanizing" racial abuse he was subjected to when he worked as the companies' chief engineer left him unable to perform his job.

  • April 13, 2026

    Atlantic City Says Lifeguards Aren't Whistleblowers

    The Atlantic City Beach Patrol has urged a state court to toss a whistleblower suit from two lifeguards alleging they endured retaliation for speaking up about decrepit conditions, arguing that they failed to allege they performed any whistleblowing activity.

  • April 13, 2026

    DLA Piper Defeats Fired Associate's Claims Of Pregnancy Bias

    A federal jury in Manhattan declined to award damages Monday to a former associate who says DLA Piper unlawfully fired her after she announced she was pregnant, absolving the BigLaw firm hours after tense closing arguments.

Expert Analysis

  • How To Balance AI Adoption With Employee Privacy Risks

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    As artificial intelligence transforms the workplace, organizations must learn to leverage AI's capabilities while safeguarding against employee privacy risks and complying with a complex web of regulations, including by vetting vendors, mitigating employee misuse and establishing a governance framework, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • 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.