Discrimination

  • September 18, 2025

    Dallas Fed Settles Former Employee's Race Bias Case

    The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas resolved an Indian ex-employee's lawsuit alleging he was let go for complaining to management that he and other employees of color received unfair poor performance ratings from a white supervisor, according to a Thursday filing in Texas federal court.

  • September 18, 2025

    1st Circ. Won't Lift Block On HHS Job, Program Cuts

    The First Circuit on Wednesday rejected a bid by the Trump administration to let it move ahead with cutting 10,000 jobs and end a number of programs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services while it appeals a Rhode Island federal judge's order temporarily barring the plan.

  • September 18, 2025

    Withheld Email Not Enough To Revive Doc's Retaliation Suit

    A psychiatrist failed to convince the Second Circuit to reinstate his suit claiming a New York City-area hospital system forced him out because he raised patient safety concerns, with the appeals court saying he couldn't show the hospital's omission of an email during discovery was purposeful.

  • September 18, 2025

    AMD Can't Sink Bias Suit From Worker With Foreign Accent

    Semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices can't shut down a Romanian former employee's suit claiming he was laid off due to his national origin and because he spoke with an accent, a Colorado federal judge ruled, finding the ex-worker put forward just enough detail to keep his case alive.

  • September 17, 2025

    J&J Whistleblowers Defend $1.6B False Claims Act Win

    Whistleblowers filed a brief Wednesday in the Third Circuit in a closely watched False Claims Act appeal involving a $1.6 billion judgment against Johnson & Johnson unit Janssen as well as the constitutionality of the FCA's "qui tam" whistleblower provisions, arguing that the act's lawfulness has been settled by its "unbroken 162-year history."

  • September 17, 2025

    Ex-Applicant Sues Walmart, Alleging Consumer Report Misstep

    Big box retailer Walmart faces a proposed class action alleging it violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act by running a background check, then rescinding a job offer to an applicant who'd disclosed her criminal record before starting the application process.

  • September 17, 2025

    9th Circ. Seems Split On School Principal's Free Speech Suit

    A Ninth Circuit panel appeared split on Wednesday over a Washington state public school employee's claims that he was unfairly punished for a political rant on Facebook, with one judge pushing back on his stance that he was speaking privately while also balking at the district's position that the post was disruptive.

  • September 17, 2025

    Judges Pan Chris Cuomo's Arbitrator Bias Claim On Appeal

    A majority of the justices on a New York appellate court panel voiced skepticism of ex-CNN anchor Chris Cuomo's arguments that the arbitrator was biased against him in his $125 million wrongful termination case against the news network.

  • September 17, 2025

    11th Circ. Judge Calls Ga. School Racism Defense 'Ridiculous'

    The Eleventh Circuit appeared unlikely Wednesday to let Georgia school officials escape accusations they violated a settlement requiring their district to hire more Black educators, with one judge slamming as "ridiculous" the notion they could plead ignorance over whether the agreement was binding on them.

  • September 17, 2025

    Ex-Law Student's Bias Suit In Wrong Forum, 4th Circ. Told

    A Black former student at Washington University School of Law shouldn't be able to revive claims that she was suspended from campus and lost her scholarship after complaining about a professor's race bias because she filed the suit in the wrong state, the law school told the Fourth Circuit.

  • September 17, 2025

    Dems Urge DOL To Probe Exodus Of Women From Workforce

    The Democratic Women's Caucus asked the U.S. Department of Labor to further probe why women are leaving the workforce in droves, after recent job data showed that over 330,000 women have left the workforce since January.

  • September 17, 2025

    Boston Mayor Accused Of Firing Staffer To Shield Ally

    The former chief of staff for Boston's police accountability office alleged in a lawsuit launched in state court Wednesday that Mayor Michelle Wu wrongfully fired her last spring to protect a key political ally from accusations of sexual harassment.

  • September 17, 2025

    Ga. City, Ex-Court Admin Seek Quick Wins In Retaliation Case

    A Georgia city and its former municipal court administrator have each asked a federal judge for wins in a whistleblower suit the administrator brought alleging she had been unlawfully fired in retaliation for reporting a city council member's attempt to pressure the court for a favor.

  • September 17, 2025

    Coaches Ask For Lower Court Redo On 'Sham' NFL Arbitration

    Arguing that a recent Second Circuit ruling supports their position that arbitration overseen by the NFL commissioner cannot be impartial, three former NFL coaches have asked the district court judge who sent part of their proposed racial discrimination class action to arbitration two years ago to again reconsider that decision.

  • September 17, 2025

    Defense Co. Says Worker Fired For Harassment, Not Religion

    Defense contractor L3Harris fired an engineer for his mistreatment of non-Christian colleagues, not because he is a Christian, the company told a Texas federal court as it urged the toss of the former employee's bias suit.

  • September 17, 2025

    7th Circ. Hints Trans Officer's Facebook Post Undercuts Suit

    The Seventh Circuit appeared disinclined Wednesday to reinstate an Illinois officer's lawsuit accusing a police department and training academy of outing her as transgender, with one judge calling it "very problematic" that the cop tried to hide a Facebook post where she had shared her gender identity.

  • September 17, 2025

    Kimberly-Clark Settles Black Worker's Bias, Retaliation Suit

    Consumer goods company Kimberly-Clark has resolved a suit filed by a Black manufacturing employee who said she was denied a promotion and unfairly disciplined for complaining she was being paid less than colleagues, according to a filing in Alabama federal court.

  • September 17, 2025

    Calif. Winery Strikes Deal To End EEOC Sex Harassment Suit

    A California winery has agreed to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit alleging it stood by while female employees were subjected to sexual touching and comments on the job and then retaliated against them for speaking up about the mistreatment.

  • September 16, 2025

    UC Groups Sue Trump Admin Alleging Free Speech Violations

    A coalition of faculty, staff and unions affiliated with the University of California system sued the Trump administration in federal court Tuesday, arguing the suspension of $584 million in research projects along with threats to terminate billions more violates the law and is an attempt to violate their free speech.

  • September 16, 2025

    White House Fights Seattle's Bid To Block DEI Grant Rules

    The Trump administration on Tuesday called on a Washington federal judge to let it proceed with federal grant conditions forcing recipients to drop efforts related to diversity and "gender ideology," contending that Seattle is challenging the terms based on mere speculation that the city may one day be targeted for "hypothetical noncompliance."  

  • September 16, 2025

    Federal Court Reporter Beats Transcript Omission Claim

    A court reporter for an Illinois federal judge Tuesday defeated a lawsuit brought by a pro se plaintiff alleging she failed to transcribe part of a hearing and left out statements that would be damaging to the judge in an underlying employment dispute.

  • September 16, 2025

    7th Circ. Judge Wary Of Pilots' Bid To Amend Vax Bias Claims

    A Seventh Circuit judge on Tuesday pushed counsel for two United Airlines pilots to address how the lower court abused its "very broad" discretion in refusing to allow them to file a third amended complaint accusing the airline of religious discrimination, after they were placed on unpaid leave despite religious exemptions from the airline's COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

  • September 16, 2025

    Ill. Hospital Nonprofit Must Face Tobacco Fee Suit

    An Illinois federal judge refused to toss the bulk of a proposed class action from an Illinois hospital worker who claimed a fee on the employee health plans of tobacco users was discriminatory and breached fiduciary duties under benefits law, finding most allegations sufficiently backed up to survive dismissal.

  • September 16, 2025

    EEOC Claims Miss. Restaurant Illegally Axed Pregnant Server

    A Mississippi breakfast restaurant fired an employee just days after she was hired because it learned she was pregnant, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged in federal court.

  • September 16, 2025

    Freight Co. Forced Pregnant Driver To Take Leave, EEOC Says

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Tuesday accused a freight shipping company of unlawfully placing a pregnant employee on unpaid leave rather than accommodating her requests for a limited work schedule and a restriction on lifting.

Expert Analysis

  • Pa. Ruling Highlights Challenges Of Employer Arb. Appeals

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    A Pennsylvania federal court's recent ruling in Welch Foods v. General Teamsters Local Union No. 397 demonstrates the inherent difficulties employers face when seeking relief from labor arbitration decisions through appeals in court — and underscores how employers are faced with often conflicting legal priorities, says Daniel Johns at Cozen O'Connor.

  • 7 Ways To Prepare For An I-9 Audit Or Immigration Raid

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    Because immigration enforcement is likely to surge under the upcoming Trump administration, employers should take steps to ensure their staff is trained in employment eligibility verification requirements and what to do in the event of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement I-9 audit or workplace raid, say attorneys at Littler.

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

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    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

  • Disentangling Various Forms Of Workplace Discrimination

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    Pay inequity can be missed where it exists and misidentified due to incorrect statistics, leaving individuals to face multiple facets of discrimination connected by a common root cause, meaning correct identification and measurement is crucial, says Daniel Levy at Advanced Analytical.

  • Key Requirements In New Maryland Pay Transparency Laws

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    Although several jurisdictions now require pay transparency in job advertisements, Maryland's new law is among the broadest in the country, both in terms of what is required and the scope of its applicability, says Sarah Belger at Quarles & Brady.

  • Lessons From EEOC Case Of Fla. Worker Fired After Stillbirth

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    A recent federal court settlement between a Florida resort and a fired line cook shows that the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission sees stillbirth as protected under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, also providing four other important lessons, says Gordon Berger at Pierson Ferdinand.

  • Advising Employers As AI Meets DEI And Discrimination

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Though companies can use artificial intelligence tools to develop more diverse and inclusive workforces, counsel should also prepare employers for how AI can stymie these efforts, provoke discrimination claims and complicate resulting litigation, says Emily Schifter at Troutman Pepper.

  • A Look At The Hefty Demands In Calif. Employer AI Draft Regs

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    California's draft regulations on artificial intelligence use in employment decisions show that the California Privacy Protection Agency is positioning itself as a de facto AI regulator for the state, which isn't waiting around for federal legislation, says Lily Li at Metaverse Law.

  • Federal Salary History Ban's Reach Is Limited

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    Though a newly effective Office of Personnel Management rule takes important steps by banning federal employers from considering job applicants' nonfederal salary histories, the rule's narrow applicability and overconfidence in the existing system's fairness will likely not end persistent pay inequities, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.

  • 2nd Circ. Hostile Workplace Ruling Widens Arbitration Pitfalls

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    The Second Circuit’s recent decision, affirming the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act applies to a worker whose workplace hostility claims arose before the law’s 2022 enactment, widens the scope of the law — and the risks of unenforceable arbitration agreements for employers, say attorneys at Hinshaw.

  • Title VII Compliance Lessons From Raytheon Age Bias Suit

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    A Texas federal court’s recent refusal to dismiss age discrimination claims from a former Raytheon employee, terminated after he admitted to acts that Raytheon says violated its harassment policy, nonetheless illustrates strategies employers can use to protect themselves when facing competing Title VII workplace obligations, say attorneys at Segal McCambridge.

  • How The Presidential Election Will Affect Workplace AI Regs

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    The U.S. has so far adopted a light-handed approach to regulating artificial intelligence in the labor and employment area, but the presidential election is unlikely to have as dramatic of an effect on AI regulations as it may on other labor and employment matters, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Eye On Compliance: ADA Accommodations For Obesity

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    As the classification of "obesity" as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act continues to evolve, employers should note federal district and state court deviations from U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines, which have deemed obesity to be a qualifying impairment, no matter the cause, says Lauren Stadler at Wilson Elser.