Discrimination

  • 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.

  • March 09, 2026

    Ex-Security Worker Accuses Pittsburgh Pirates Of Age Bias

    A former security supervisor for the Pittsburgh Pirates says she was interrogated by officials from Major League Baseball over a secret recording of her discussing gambling with other employees, and she claims in a lawsuit that she was the only one to face investigation because she was an older woman.

  • March 09, 2026

    Sports Gear Co. Settles EEOC Age Bias, Retaliation Suit

    A sports gear company will pay $350,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit accusing it of favoring younger employees during an organizational restructure and fired a worker in his 50s because he complained, the commission said Monday.

Expert Analysis

  • Cos. Should Focus On State AI Laws Despite New DOL Site

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    Because a new U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored website about the disability discrimination risks of AI hiring tools mostly echoes old guidance, employers should focus on complying with the state and local AI workplace laws springing up where Congress and federal regulators have yet to act, say attorneys at Littler.

  • How The Tide Of EEOC Litigation Rolled Back In FY 2024

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    An analysis of the location, timing and underlying claims asserted in U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission-initiated cases during fiscal year 2024 shows that the commission saw a substantial decrease in litigation activity after a surge last year, but employers should not drop their guard, say Christopher DeGroff and Andrew Scroggins at Seyfarth.

  • The Key Changes In Revised FDIC Hiring Regulations

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    Attorneys at Ogletree break down the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s new rule, effective Oct. 1, that will ease restrictions on financial institutions hiring employees with criminal histories, amend the FDIC's treatment of minor offenses and clarify its stance on expunged or dismissed criminal records.

  • Employer Tips For PUMP Act Compliance As Law Turns 2

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    Enacted in December 2022, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act requires employers to provide reasonable break time and a private space for employees to express breast milk, but some companies may still be struggling with how to comply, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • What To Know About Ill. Employment Law Changes

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    Illinois employers should review their policies in light of a number of recent changes to state employment law, including amendments to the state’s Human Rights Act and modifications to the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act, say attorneys at Kilpatrick.

  • Mich. Whistleblower Ruling Expands Retaliation Remedies

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    The Michigan Supreme Court's recent Occupational Health and Safety Act decision in Stegall v. Resource Technology is important because it increases the potential exposure for defendants in public policy retaliation cases, providing plaintiffs with additional claims, say Aaron Burrell and Timothy Howlett at Dickinson Wright.

  • How States Are Approaching AI Workplace Discrimination

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    As legislators across the U.S. have begun addressing algorithmic discrimination in the workplace, attorneys at Reed Smith provide an overview of the status, applicability and provisions of 13 state and local bills.

  • The Risks Of Employee Political Discourse On Social Media

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    As election season enters its final stretch and employees increasingly engage in political speech on social media, employers should beware the liability risks and consider policies that negotiate the line between employees' rights and the limits on those rights, say Bradford Kelley and James McGehee at Littler.

  • 7th Circ. Rulings Offer Employee Vaccine Exemption Guidance

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    Dawn Solowey and Samantha Brooks at Seyfarth explain how two recent Seventh Circuit rulings in Passarella v. Aspirus and Bube v. Aspirus could affect litigation involving employee vaccine exemptions, and discuss employer best practices for handling accommodation requests that include both religious and secular concerns.

  • Employers Should Not Neglect Paid Military Leave Compliance

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    An August decision from the Ninth Circuit and the settlement of a long-running class action, both examining paid leave requirements under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, are part of a nationwide trend that should prompt employers to review their military leave policies to avoid potential litigation and reputational damage, says Bradford Kelley at Littler.

  • Old Employment Law Principles Can Answer New AI Concerns

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    Despite growing legal and regulatory concerns about how artificial intelligence tools may affect employment decisions and worker rights, companies should take comfort in knowing that familiar principles of employment law and established compliance regimes can still largely address these new twists on old questions, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

  • NYC Wage Info Bill Highlights Rise In Pay Transparency Laws

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    With New York City the latest to mull requiring companies to annually report employee wage data, national employers should consider adapting their compliance practices to comply with increasingly common pay transparency and disclosure obligations at state and local levels, says Kelly Cardin at Littler Mendelson.

  • Workday AI Bias Suit Suggests Hiring Lessons For Employers

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    As state laws and a federal agency increasingly focus on employment bias introduced by artificial intelligence systems, a California federal court's recent decision to allow a discrimination suit to proceed against Workday's AI-driven recruitment software, shows companies should promptly assess these tools' risks, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.