Discrimination

  • August 28, 2025

    EEOC Yanks Guide On Workforce Demographic Data

    A recently published U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission fact sheet reminding federal employers to adhere to longstanding employee demographic reporting requirements was taken down after an agency source said it was released prematurely while still in draft form.

  • August 28, 2025

    4th Circ. Says Jury Should Hear Ex-Professor's Sex Bias Suit

    The Fourth Circuit revived an ex-Morgan State University professor's suit claiming she was denied multiple promotions and paid less than her male colleagues, finding the lower court overlooked key evidence that warrants a trial, such as claims that a department chair called her a "reject lesbian."

  • August 27, 2025

    Seattle Asks Court To Bar Feds From Yanking Grants Over DEI

    The city of Seattle has urged a federal court to block the Trump administration from enforcing two executive orders that condition federal grants on recipients abandoning the promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion or "gender ideology," saying the conditions are unconstitutional and jeopardize several of the city's critical public services.

  • August 27, 2025

    DOD Education Unit Accused Of Bias By Assistant Principal

    A Black, longtime employee of the Department of Defense Education Activity has sued the agency and its leaders in North Carolina federal court, alleging a lower school principal harassed her, that she was denied promotions based on her race and sex and is being unfairly terminated.

  • August 27, 2025

    6th Circ. Says Hospital Waived Arbitration In Pronoun Dispute

    The Sixth Circuit reversed an order Wednesday allowing a University of Michigan hospital to arbitrate an ex-worker's suit claiming she was fired out of religious bias for refusing to use preferred pronouns for certain LGBTQ patients, ruling the institution waited too long to invoke an arbitration pact.

  • August 27, 2025

    Ex-Drexel Medical Professor Fights Gender Bias Trial Loss

    A former Drexel University medical professor who lost her gender bias lawsuit alleging the university treated male faculty better than women has asked a Pennsylvania federal judge for a redo, claiming the jury's verdict in favor of the school was against the weight of the evidence.

  • August 27, 2025

    X Settles Disability Bias Suit Over Musk's Twitter Takeover

    X Corp. has agreed to settle a proposed class action alleging the company purposefully created severe working conditions during Elon Musk's 2022 takeover of Twitter to drive out workers with disabilities, according to a California federal court filing.

  • August 27, 2025

    More Courts Taking Broad View Of EEOC Investigative Power

    The Second Circuit's ruling this week that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission can continue investigating a worker's charge even if the employee files their own lawsuit reflects a growing consensus among federal appeals courts on the breadth of the agency's powers.

  • August 27, 2025

    Mich. Judge Advises Trimming $500K Fees For Retaliation Win

    A magistrate judge said a human resources director who won a retaliation suit should be awarded attorney fees but recommended slashing costs for a third plaintiffs attorney to attend the trial and for tasks the judge said could have been performed by junior associates.

  • August 27, 2025

    Union Dodges Medical Assault Claim Over Vax Mandate

    A mariners union has escaped a deck officer's accusation of attempted medical assault, with a California federal judge tossing his claim that the union teamed up with his former employer, Matson Navigation Co., to pressure him to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

  • August 27, 2025

    DOJ To Probe Calif. EPA For Hiring Bias Over Equity Plan

    The U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday that it has begun investigating whether discrimination has plagued hiring practices in California's Environmental Protection Agency, after raising concerns that the agency's racial equity initiatives could be violating Title VII.

  • August 26, 2025

    Tire Co. Says EEOC Can't Bring ADA Suit Without Quorum

    The Carlstar Group has urged a Tennessee federal judge to toss the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's complaint alleging it has a practice of discriminating against workers who legally took narcotics for long-term injuries, arguing the agency lacks a three-member quorum and the authority to determine whether to sue the tire maker. 

  • August 26, 2025

    Meta Fired Worker For Being Older White Male, Bias Suit Says

    A former Meta Platforms Inc. employee filed an age bias suit in California state court Tuesday, alleging the company prioritized non-white, non-male workers and applicants for job opportunities, bonuses and promotions, before it eventually executed a "reduction in force" that disparately affected older workers who ended up being terminated.

  • August 26, 2025

    Wash. Judge Shoots Down Ex-SEIU Organizer's Bias Suit

    A Washington federal judge has tossed a fired Service Employees International Union organizer's lawsuit against the union, saying the ex-organizer's "vague" complaint lacks facts to substantiate its claims that she was discriminated against, underpaid and wrongfully discharged.

  • August 26, 2025

    NBA's Suns Seek Sanctions Over Alleged Fake Case Citations

    Operators of the NBA's Phoenix Suns asked the court Tuesday to impose sanctions on counsel representing a woman suing the organization for workplace sexual harassment, saying the woman's counsel cited made-up cases and quotes in their filings at least 16 times.

  • August 26, 2025

    New York Fed Wants Out Of Ex-Fed Worker's Vax Bias Suit

    The Federal Reserve Bank of New York and two of its executives seek an exit from a former Fed employee's vaccine status discrimination suit in North Carolina federal court, arguing Monday that the ex-worker's suit inaccurately described the New York Fed as the plaintiff's "co-employer."

  • August 26, 2025

    Christian Clinic Says Mich. Stance On Bias Law Still Unclear

    The state of Michigan should be forced to clarify if it believes a Christian medical clinic's opposition to gender-affirming care and its pronoun policy is discriminatory under state civil rights law, the clinic told a Michigan federal judge. 

  • August 26, 2025

    8th Circ. Backs Deli Chain In Ex-Worker's Pregnancy Bias Suit

    The Eighth Circuit declined Tuesday to reinstate an ex-deli chain manager's bias suit claiming the business denied her pregnancy-related accommodations and subsequently fired her, ruling her case lacks detail showing the chain faulted her for the working adjustments she requested out of bias.

  • August 26, 2025

    8th Circ. Nixes Ex-Principal's Suit Over LGBTQ+ Advocacy

    The Eighth Circuit on Tuesday rejected a former Minnesota public school principal's bid to reopen a suit alleging she was unconstitutionally punished because she advocated for LGBTQ+ students, saying her speech wasn't protected by the First Amendment.

  • August 26, 2025

    Cert. In Pepperidge BIPA Action Sunk Over Counsel Conflict

    An Illinois appellate panel on Monday reversed a trial court's order certifying a class of Pepperidge Farm workers bringing biometric privacy claims, saying it improperly allowed the law firm of the lead plaintiff's daughter to remain as class counsel.

  • August 26, 2025

    5th Circ. Won't Pause Order Blocking PWFA Abortion Regs

    The Fifth Circuit declined to pause a trial court order that nixed U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regulations, which required employers to accommodate workers who receive abortions, while a group of Catholic organizations challenges the ruling for not going far enough to protect religious freedom.

  • August 26, 2025

    New Rulings Bolster Plaintiffs In Ill. Genetic Privacy Suits

    A recent ruling by a Chicago federal judge adds to mounting wins for plaintiffs suing employers under an Illinois genetic privacy law.

  • August 26, 2025

    Credit Union Wants Ex-CEO's Latest Wage Claims Trimmed

    Sound Federal Credit Union wants a Connecticut Superior Court judge to trim its former CEO's recently revamped employment lawsuit, saying defamation and failure to pay wages claims should be removed from his complaint before his breach of contract claim advances.

  • August 26, 2025

    NY Judge In NFL Case May Hold No-Show Atty In Contempt

    The Manhattan federal judge presiding over a high-profile racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL said Tuesday she will initiate a contempt proceeding against a California lawyer who failed to appear to further explain an erroneous filing that stated he could practice in New York.

  • August 26, 2025

    Netflix Flight Attendant Says Harassment Report Led To Firing

    A former flight attendant for Netflix's private air fleet accused the streaming company of withholding her raise and eventually firing her after she reported several instances of sexual harassment, including one involving a pilot's sexually explicit Christmas cards.

Expert Analysis

  • How EEOC Enforcement Priorities May Change Under Trump

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    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has already been rocked by the Trump administration's dramatic changes in personnel and policy, which calls into question how the agency may shift its direction from the priorities set forth in its five-year strategic enforcement plan in 2023, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: Back To Basics After Admin Change

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    Having an up-to-date employee handbook is more critical now than ever, given the recent change in administration, and employers should understand their benefits and risks, including how they can limit employers’ liability and help retain employers’ rights, say Kasey Cappellano and Meaghan Gandy at Kutak Rock.

  • What Axed Title IX Gender Identity Rule Means For Higher Ed

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    Following a Kentucky federal court's recent decision in State of Tennessee v. Cardona to strike down a Biden-era rule that expanded the definition of Title IX to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity, institutions of higher education should prepare to reimplement policies that comply with the reinstated 2020 rule, say attorneys at Venable.

  • A Path Forward For Cos. Amid Trump's Anti-DEIA Efforts

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    Given the Trump administration’s recent efforts targeting corporate diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs — including threatening possible criminal prosecution — companies should carefully tailor their DEIA initiatives to comply with both the letter and the spirit of antidiscrimination law, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Workforce Data Collection Considerations After DEI Order

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    Following President Donald Trump's executive order targeting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, employers should balance the benefits of collecting demographic data with the risk of violating the order’s prohibition on "illegal DEI," say Lynn Clements at Berkshire Associates, David Cohen at DCI Consulting and Victoria Lipnic at Resolution Economics.

  • How DOGE's Severance Plan May Affect Federal Employees

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    President Donald Trump's administration, working through the Department of Government Efficiency, recently offered a severance package to nearly all of the roughly 2 million federal employees, but unanswered questions about the offer, coupled with several added protections for government workers, led to fewer accepted offers than expected, says Aaron Peskin at Kang Haggerty.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

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    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

  • 10 Issues To Watch In Aerospace And Defense Contracting

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    This year, in addition to evergreen developments driven by national security priorities, disruptive new technologies and competition with rival powers, federal contractors will see significant disruptions driven by the new administration’s efforts to reduce government spending, regulation and the size of the federal workforce, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Undoing An American Ideal Of Fairness

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    President Donald Trump’s orders attacking birthright citizenship, civil rights education, and diversity, equity and inclusion programs threaten hard-won constitutional civil rights protections and decades of efforts to undo bias in the law — undermining what Chief Justice Earl Warren called "our American ideal of fairness," says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Employer Tips For Wise Use Of Workers' Biometrics And Tech

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Employers that collect employee biometric data and operate bring-your-own-device policies, which respectively offer better corporate security and more flexibility for workers, should prioritize certain best practices to protect the privacy and rights of employees and safeguard sensitive internal information, says Douglas Yang at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Unprecedented Firings And The EEOC's Shifting Agenda

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    While President Donald Trump's unprecedented firing of Democratic Equal Employment Opportunity Commission members put an end to the party's voting majority, the move raises legal issues, as well as considerations related to the EEOC's lack of a quorum and shifting regulatory priorities, says Ally Coll at the Purple Method.

  • What Trump Admin's Anti-DEI Push Means For FCA Claims

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    President Donald Trump's recent rescission of a 60-year-old executive order imposing nondiscrimination requirements on certain federal contractors has far-reaching implications, including potential False Claims Act liability for contractors and grant recipients who fail to comply, though it may be a challenge for the government to successfully establish liability, say attorneys at Bass Berry.

  • It Starts With Training: Anti-Harassment After 'It Ends With Us'

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    Actress Blake Lively's recent sexual harassment and retaliation allegations against her "It Ends With Us" co-star, director and producer, Justin Baldoni, should remind employers of their legal obligations to implement trainings, policies and other measures to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, say attorneys at Morrison Cohen.