Discrimination

  • June 05, 2025

    Actors Ask 9th Circ. To Revive SAG Vax Mandate Fight

    SAG-AFTRA members urged the Ninth Circuit on Thursday to revive their claims that the union betrayed them by allowing studios to impose COVID-19 vaccine mandates against members with medical and religious objections, arguing that the state claims aren't preempted and "not everything that involves these guilds is a federal matter."

  • June 05, 2025

    No Injunction Or Remand In Marine's Vape Discharge Dispute

    A Court of Federal Claims judge denied a former U.S. Marine Corps air traffic control officer's bid for an injunction as he challenges his discharge for allegedly using a prohibited vape, saying the court lacks the power to prevent the government from releasing "disparaging" information.

  • June 05, 2025

    Carmaker Fired Worker For Taking Passover Off, EEOC Says

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accused car manufacturing giant FCA US of refusing to let a Jewish employee take holy days off and then eventually firing him after he didn't show up to work on Passover, according to a suit filed Thursday in Michigan federal court.

  • June 05, 2025

    Walgreens Says No Standing In Suit Over Tobacco Surcharge

    Walgreens is urging an Illinois federal court to throw out a suit from an employee alleging it illegally imposes a tobacco surcharge on employees in its healthcare program, saying the program complies with federal regulations, and the employee has no standing because she declined to participate in the program.

  • June 05, 2025

    Judge Rejects DC Bid To Toss Black Atty's Bias Suit

    A D.C. federal judge allowed a city attorney's discrimination and retaliation lawsuit to proceed to discovery Thursday, rejecting the D.C. government's motion to toss the claims that a city administrative law judge discriminated against Black women and paid the plaintiff attorney less than her male peers.

  • June 05, 2025

    Foley & Lardner Says Palestine Support Didn't Doom Job Offer

    Foley & Lardner LLP urged an Illinois federal judge to dismiss a bias suit by a former summer associate, arguing her job offer was rescinded not due to her Arab Muslim identity but because her public comments on Hamas' 2023 attack on Israel "violated the firm's core values" and showed "incredibly poor judgment."

  • June 05, 2025

    Judicial Watchdog Says Mich. Judge Created 'Climate Of Fear'

    Michigan's judicial watchdog has said in a formal misconduct complaint a state judge "created a climate of fear" among court personnel that disrupted the administration of the court, "bullied" court staff and improperly dismissed criminal cases to "punish" prosecutors.

  • June 05, 2025

    EEOC Says Co. Fired Christian Driver For Wearing Skirt

    A building materials company fired a cement truck driver after a week of employment because she wore a skirt on the job in compliance with her religious beliefs, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a suit filed in Florida federal court.

  • June 05, 2025

    Greenberg Traurig Lands Bracewell Employment Pro In Texas

    Greenberg Traurig LLP has strengthened its labor and employment practice with the addition of a Bracewell LLP attorney in Houston, boosting the firm's ability to serve clients in the growing Texas market and beyond.

  • June 05, 2025

    Ex-Wells Fargo Worker Says 'Herculean' Win Backs Fee Bid

    An ex-Wells Fargo worker awarded $22.1 million in his case claiming he was fired out of disability bias defended his request for $1.5 million in attorney fees, telling a North Carolina federal court his counsel's "superior lawyering" and "herculean effort" justified the proposed award.

  • June 05, 2025

    Justices Fault Wis. For Denying Tax Break To Charities

    Wisconsin discriminated against a group of Catholic charities when it denied them an unemployment tax exemption, the U.S. Supreme Court said Thursday, rejecting the state's argument that the charities were not operated primarily for religious purposes.

  • June 05, 2025

    Justices Nix Higher Hurdle For Heterosexual Bias Claims

    A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday vacated the Sixth Circuit's ruling that plaintiffs claiming anti-heterosexual workplace discrimination need to provide extra "background circumstances" evidence, opining that it improperly imposed special standards on majority-group plaintiffs.

  • June 04, 2025

    Property Manager Fired For Complaint About Meme, Suit Says

    A Texas-based property management company has been sued by a former employee in Georgia who alleged she was fired after reporting a "racially insensitive" meme sent to her by the company's acting vice president.

  • June 04, 2025

    Vanderbilt Prof's Promotion Bias Suit Falls Short At 6th Circ.

    The Sixth Circuit refused Wednesday to revive a Vanderbilt University professor's disability bias suit claiming she was denied a promotion because she took leave to manage her multiple sclerosis, ruling she failed to overcome evidence that her deficient scholarship cost her the job.

  • June 04, 2025

    5th Circ. Revives United Flight Attendant's Age Bias Suit

    The Fifth Circuit on Wednesday reopened a former flight attendant's lawsuit claiming United Airlines used allegations of misconduct as a pretext to fire her because she was in her 50s, saying a trial court erred in concluding that her case was preempted by federal labor law.

  • June 04, 2025

    Fisher Phillips Snags Labor Atty From Davis Wright In Seattle

    A former Davis Wright Tremaine LLP attorney representing employers in wage-and-hour disputes and traditional labor matters has started as a partner at Fisher Phillips LLP in Seattle, the firm announced, and will remain focused on tackling labor and employment claims for his clients.

  • June 04, 2025

    Ga. Manufacturer Fired HR Exec For Reporting Bias, Suit Says

    An oxygen supply manufacturer has been sued in Georgia federal court by its former global vice president of human resources over allegations it fired her for reporting the harassment of a lesbian employee.

  • June 04, 2025

    DC Judge Weighs Harm In Teen Program Funding Fight

    A D.C. federal judge on Wednesday seemed unconvinced by Planned Parenthood's assertion that new federal grant requirements for a public health initiative aimed at preventing teen pregnancy are harmful enough to warrant a preliminary injunction.

  • June 04, 2025

    Media Co. Ends EEOC Suit Over Deaf Worker's Nixed Interview

    A newspaper publishing company has agreed to pay $100,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming it canceled a job interview with an applicant after learning she was deaf and needed an interpreter.

  • June 04, 2025

    Lowe's Ex-Manager Drops Racial Bias, Retaliation Case

    A former Lowe's Companies Inc. manager has agreed to drop her case against the home improvement retailer, in which she alleged she was treated differently, retaliated against and later fired for being Black.

  • June 04, 2025

    SEIU Shirked Black University Worker's Grievance, Suit Says

    A Service Employees International Union local unlawfully provided a Black former university employee with second-rate representation when he challenged his termination over a minor offense despite aggressively supporting white union members who engaged in more serious misconduct, according to a lawsuit filed in Pennsylvania federal court.

  • June 04, 2025

    Indiana's AG Targets DEI At Butler, DePauw Universities

    Indiana's attorney general has sent letters to two private universities asking for information about diversity, equity and inclusion-related initiatives, he said Wednesday, alleging that the schools may be unlawfully discriminating by favoring marginalized groups.

  • June 03, 2025

    9th Circ. Skeptical About Nixing Wash. Bias Enforcement Ban

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday appeared hesitant to grant Washington state's bid to wipe out an injunction that bars it from enforcing state anti-discrimination law against a Christian employer that wants to hire co-religionists, but the judges signaled a willingness to depart from the trial court's rationale.

  • June 03, 2025

    WNBA Player Files Amended Discrimination Suit Against Aces

    Women's National Basketball Association player Dearica Hamby on Monday lodged an amended complaint beefing up claims of retaliation in her Nevada federal discrimination lawsuit that accuses the Las Vegas Aces of trading her because she became pregnant.

  • June 03, 2025

    Weinstein Atty Casts Accusers As Abusers In Retrial Closing

    A Manhattan jury on Tuesday heard closing arguments in Harvey Weinstein's retrial on sexual assault charges in New York state court, as his attorney said he was "abused" by "mad," "scorned" ex-lovers who didn't have the talent to make it in show business.

Expert Analysis

  • What To Expect As Worker Bias Suit Heads To High Court

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    The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, which concerns how courts treat discrimination claims brought by majority group plaintiffs, and its decision could eliminate the background circumstances test, but is unlikely to significantly affect employers' diversity programs, say Victoria Slade and Alysa Mo at Davis Wright.

  • Mitigating Construction Employers' Risks Of Discrimination

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    Recent heightened government scrutiny of construction industry employment practices illustrates the need for nondiscriminatory recruitment and proactive assessment of workforces and worksites, including auditing for demographic disparities and taking documented steps to address such issues, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • 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.